BLOW IN THE FACE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 69, 22 March 1934, Page 17

BLOW IN THE FACE.

SCULLIN ROUSED.

INSULTING CHALLENGE.

SURPRISE FOR INTERJECT OR.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

SYDNEY, March IG.

Last Saturday's issue of "Smith's Weekly" paid a handsome compliment to Mr. Scullin. This rather temperamental periodical has never been particularlv well disposed toward Mr. Scullin, and three years ago it produced a cartoon representing Australia (in the n-uise of "Dad" in "Our Selection") engaged literally and physically putting a backbone into the leader of the A ' L ;PThis week it reproduces the cartoon with the sub-title, "We take it all back!" The occasion for this public apology is an incident" that occurred last week in Melbourne. Mr. Scullin -was addressing a public meeting at Malvern and mentioned his efforts to maintain the basic wage. When questions came on a young man in the audience made a remark about wages, and Mr. Scullin was giving a reply to the effect that his Government had never reduced the basic wa<*o when the man interrupted with, <( I say vou are a liar." Mr. Scullin jumped down from the platform, walked up to the man arid struck him a heavy blow in the face.

Audience Stirred Up. There was a great outcry, women screamed, chairs were brandished and blows struck, but Mr. Scullin, who had returned to the platform, soon restored order. "I have been addressing public meetings for more than 30 years," he said, ''but this has never happened to me before. No man has a right to call another man a liar. lam as human as any other man. But I did not tackle a man smaller or older than myself. I "However," ho added, "I am sony that this has happened and if the gentleman who called me a liar will express regret I will do the same." "Mr. Scullin forgot to eay that ne attacked a man larger than himself, but in a place where he had the rough mob of the Labour party behind him," replied the offender. His answer naturally exasperated the audience, and some of them made a threatening move tow|rd him. He left the hall hurriedly with a contemptuous gibe, "You are only a lot of cheap Fascists."

"My Jaw Was Stiff." It turned out that the man was one J. V. Gray, an Englishman, who deserted from a warship in Townsville Harbour in September, 1931. He was sentenced to three months last year for stirring up trouble among the unemployed, and he seems to belong to the largo number of discontented people who are always "looking for a fight." He was interviewed in duo course, and admitted that Scullin had hit him hard. "I'll say it was a good punch for a man of iiis age. My jaw was stiff

next day," he said. But his truculent and offensive manner at the meeting had effectually deprived liim of all public sympathy. On the other hand, though Mr. Scullin. certainlv has never sought fame in this way,* there is no doubt that his personal reputation was very considerably enhanced by this little incident. _ The Leader of the Opposition is distinctly a man of peace, and his fondness for conciliation and compromise has often disconcerted his friends and provided his enemies with material for satire. That a man of this type would promptly and courageously resent a personal insult lias come almost as a revelation to friends and foes alike; and though Mr. Scullin himself no doubt regards the whole episode as humiliating and regrettable, he is more popular to-day than he has ever been since his own weakness and the treachery of the Langites drove him from office.