POLICE RUSHED BY MOB

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 168, 12 April 1932, Page 11

POLICE RUSHED BY MOB

Ugly Affair at Dunedin

BATON CHARGE MADE

Crowd Breaks and Scatters

SOME DAMAGED HEADS

By Telegraph—Press Association.

Dunedin, April 11. The unrest which has been evident among the unemployed in Dunedin during the past few days came to a head this afternoon, when a rush by a crowd numbering several hundred, on the office of the Hospital Board, resulted in a baton charge by police. As a result a number of men were treated nt the Hospital for head injuries.

From early monting a crowd of unemployed had been gathered in the streets, and about midday assembled in front of the Town Hall, where the mayor, Mr. R. S. Black, who attempted to reason with them, was subjected to some severe heckling. After two of the leaders of the mob had been allowed to address the crowd from the steps of the Town Hall, the mayor refused to permit a third speaker to continue from that position, and an uproar followed for a few minutes.

• The crowd then dispersed and marched in procession through the streets, eventually reaching Queen’s Gardens, where they were addressed by a number of speakers. A decision was made to march to the Hospital Board’s office, where on arrival a cordon of police was found to be guarding the doors. Entrance Rushed. After a brief parley with the police the crowd suddenly rushed the entrance. The police were jammed against the wall, and realising the position was serious, they drew their batons and charged the crowd, which broke in all directions, though not before a few had received damaged heads. Hanover Street, in which the office is situated, was quickly cleared of demonstrators, and a shower of rain further dampened the spirits of the unemployed, who dispersed throughout the city. Works Declared “Black.” After tea the men again commenced to collect in the tabernacle in King Street, where by 7.30 p.m. 500 had congregated. They declared relief work “black,” and decided that-no one report for work to-morrow.

The whole police force in the city was ordered to report at the central station to-night, and country police were also called in. no oniTstarving Few Really Necessitous Families MAYOR GIVES FACTS Dominion Special Service. Dunedin, -April 11. Tn the course of Friday’s unemployment demonstrations it was stated by several speakers that there were a number of starving families in Dunedin. Disputing these assertions, the Mayor, Mr. It. 8. Black, said to-day that certain facts merited consideration. “On Friday night the depot was opened and the leaders of the demonstrators werq asked to send in the most necessitous cases,” said MV. Black. “Of the 40 odd cases dealt with, two only were really necessitous, and the following cases will serve as a refutation of the assertion that families were starving.

"Eighteen of the applicants bad already received their full supply of food during the previous week, and their pay was due on Saturday morning. Five had received portion of their supplies last Wednesday, and held orders for the balance for delivery on Friday. When asked why they had not come for the food they replied that they had attended the demonstration and did not have time to come to the depot. One woman, when confronted with the fact that her husband had received his full supply that morning, replied that she had not been home since 10 a.m., and did not know if her husband had applied. She demanded more that night in case her husband did not bring the food home with him. Thirteen applicants were entitled to their orders last week. As they had not called for them on Wednesday they should have applied on Friday, but fill of I hern when asked why, when the food was waiting for them, they did not come for it, replied they bad every right to be in the demonstration and would still continue to demonstrate. A Deplorable Feature. • "A very notable feature of Friday night’s investigation was the fact that many of the women applicants denied that their husbands bad received tbelr full supply, and this especially applied to butter,” Mr, Black continued. "It is apparent that many of the men are not taking the food home, but are disposing of some of It by the way. This is a deplorable feature and should be strongly discountenanced. The depot authorities have laid down a rule that men only will be served, and most of the unemployed are men enough to realise that they are better able than their wives in their enforced idle time to carry home heavy parcels, and that on no account should food be given to unfortunate children, With the effect that they might be Inured to the receipt of assistance.

“It must also bo remembered that nt least 80 per cent, of the unemployed realise the difficulties of the times through which the country is passing and are grateful for what more fortunate citizens are endeavouring to do for them,” said Mr. Black. "The present demonstrators are not upheld by an overwhelming percentage of the unemployed, but are organised for the purpose of obtaining open money orders from the hospital board. These money orders, the maximum of which is £l, will procure less than is given by the relief depot. One of the speakers on Friday last demanded hospital board orders, saying that when the board gave them its responsibility ended, but he failed to add that if these orders were squandered on non-essentials the needs of the women and children would still have to be met by the depots.” The Mayor concluded with an appeal to citizens to support the depots, so that occasion for such demonstrations as occurred on Friday would be removed.