PARTIES AGREED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 273, 17 November 1936, Page 7

PARTIES AGREED.

PUBLIC ORDER BILL. New Measure May Pass Without Single Amendment. RARE OCCURRENCE. British Official Wireless. (Received 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, November lti. The Public Order Bill will be read a second time in the House of Commons to-day. It will probably be passed without division, for all parties in the House are prepared to support its general principles. It is seldom that a major piece of legislation dealing with matters affecting all political parties, comes before the House without notice having been given of any single amendment, as is the case with this measure.

"It was the view of the police that the wearing of political uniforms is a source of special provocation in many areas," said Sir John Simon, moving tin; second reading. There was also the danger of invasion of Parliamentary liberties by the creation of private armies.

The Government asked the House to deal with the situation before it becomes more serious.

Mr. Clynes (Lab., Manchester) said that Jews ought to be protected against malicious attacks.

Sir Percy Harris (Lib.) said his constituency of Betlinal Green contained 25 per cent of Jews, who had lived peaceably until six months ago when the Black Shirts inarched through the streets and stirred up trouble.

Mr. Dan Chater (Lab., Bethnal Green) recalled that last election 200 Black Shirts had marched to a meeting that he was addressing. "British Fascists adopt the same tactics as the Nazis in deliberately provoking Communists to riot," said Mr. I\. H. Bernays (Lab., Bristol).

Several Labour members, whjle supporting the bill generally, feared that the wide powers given to the .police might be used against the workers in a legitimate struggle.

Lieutenant-Commander Bower (Con., Cleveland) tiiought the bill did not go far enough. He referred to organised hooliganism at his meetings in North England, where his wife's shins had.been kicked until they were black and blue. The last view he had of one meeting was a drunken woman dancing on the Union Jack on a table. These rioters were not Communists but ordinary supporters of the Labour party.

Mr. Kingsley Griffith (Lab., Middlesbrough) said he felt sorry for Green Shirts who came to meetings and asked harmlessly, "What about social credit?" The obvious answer was, "Well what about it?"

Mr. W. Gallacher (Communist, West Fife) "believed the bill would result in mass production of informers and agents provocateur... There was once a march to Runnymede which the present Government would have declared illegal. The Government already had power to stop slanders against Jews.

The bill was read a second time with out a division.