TENSE MOMENTS

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 171, 15 April 1932, Page 12

TENSE MOMENTS

Riot News in the House LAW MUST PREVAIL Prime Minister Emphatic APPEAL TO THE COUNTRY There was a tense scene in the House of Representatives when the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, rose shortly before midnight and referred to the serious rioting in Auckland. Expressing regret for such a serious outbreak in a country noted for its observance of law and order, Mr. Forbes made it clear that the Government would not tolerate disturbances of this character, and added that the authorities would insist upon il.t maintenance of law and order. The Leader of the Opposition. Mr. H. E. Holland, claimed that the disturbances, which he said might mark only the beginning of trouble, were the direct result of the Government’s policy, and he appealed for a reversal of this policy before the outbreaks spread. The Minister in Charge of Unemployment, Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, assured the House that nobody would starve, and appealed for the assistance of every section of the House to meet the situation.

The Prime Minister said he wished to inform the House that a very serious riot had taken place in Auckland during the afternoon and evening. There had been about 5000 in the crowd, and a number of windows had been broken. Some looting also was supposed to have taken place. Seven members of the Police Force were injured, three or four of them seriously. A considerable number of arrests had been made. Matters were now in hand, but a number Of citizens in addition to the police had been injured, and a body of citizens had come to the assistance of 'the police. . , Mr. Forbes added that he regretted there should be an occurrence such as this in a country so celebrated as New Zealand was for law and order. He would inform those who had taken part, however, that law and order must be maintained. (“Hear, hear” from the Government benches.) The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. H. E. Holland) : They are starving. It is the direct result of the Government’s policy. No Comment Sought. This interjection was accompanied by a chorus of approval from the Labour benches and of dissent from Government supporters. Mr. Forbes: I did not make any comment upon the action of the Labour Party, and I would ask that no comment be made from the Labour benches at a serious time like this. .Mr. W. J. Polson (Government, Stratford) : They have no sense of responsibility. Mr. Forbes said he appealed to all citizens to assist the police. The Government had every sympathy with those out of work, and his colleague the Minister in Charge of Unemployment and the Unemployment Board were doing everything that was humanly possible to assist them.

,Mr. W. J. Jordan (Lab., Manukau): If you cannot give them work, will you feed them? Mr. Forbes said a Bill had recently been put through the House making additional funds available for this purpose, though the effects of the Bill had not been able to be felt. The position was only made worse by disturbances of this character, in which the premises of innocent citizens were broken into and considerable damage and loss entailed by destruction and looting. This would serve to alienate the sympathy that had been so abundantly shown to those who were out of work during the past two years. If there had been one outstand ing fact during this depression, it was the sympathy that had been shown, and the assistance accorded the distressed by every section of the community. The people responsible for these disturbances must realise that while the Government was doing everything it could, it would not tolerate for one instant disorderly outbreaks

and the destruction of private property. ’ The police were doing their duty, and doing it well, ami it was not right that in the execution of that duty they should be injured. That the Government would not tolerate. Mr. W. E. Parry (Lab., Auckland Central) :ZDiey will not tolerate starvation, either. Mr. Jordan: Will you assure them they will be fed during the coming winter? “Policy to Blame.” Mr. Holland said the Prime Minister had taken advantage of the situation to make an attack on certain sections of the community, and he had done it without the full facts of the position at Auckland before him. Everyone would regret the disturbance and sympathise with those who had been injured. Surely tl'ie Government would now. realise that the disturbance was the inevitable result of its policy. It was no good the Government saying it would not tolerate what had happened. Every policeman and every citizen injured was suffering as a direct result of the Government’s policy. Repeated warnings had been issued from the Labour benches, and they had pointed to the “handwriting on the wall,” and asked the Government to shape a policy that would obviate occurrences of the kind. Men would not starve in the midst of plenty and see their children going hungry when there were plenty of the things they needed. Did the Government think that thinking men would quietly stand by and see their women and children starve in the midst of plenty? That was unthinkable.

Every member on the Labour benches would stand for law and order, but the way to get that was to write laws in the interests of lhe country. He appealed to the Government to abandon a policy that was creating these disturbances. “What has happened at Auckland and Dunedin.” said Mr. Holland, "is the gathering of the storm I and my colleagues will lie more than pleased if we can believe that this is the end. but those of us who know anything of history know that such happenings are only the beginning of things.”

Use of Present Funds. The Minister in Charge of Uuemploy-

ment, Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, said that a Bill was now before the Upper House providing for the raising of more funds by the Unemployment Board, but in the meantime the funds at the disposal of the board were limited. Mr. H. G. R. Masgn (Lab., Auckland Suburbs): Surely the banks would advance you something for'a week dr two.

Mr. Coates said that even after the Bill was passed the board's funds would be limited for a time. The Bill contained the power to provide for all the unemployed, and the next responsibility was to provide against the statements being made in certain quarters. He believed that much of the disturbances were due to the declarations of some of the Labour members, although they could not be all included in this. A small section of the unemployed were known to the Labour members.

Mr. H. T. Armstrong (Lab., Christchurch East): Is there sufficient food for the people of New Zealand? Mr. IV. E. Parry (Lab., Auckland Central): That is the question.

Mr. Coates said he believed that some members had shirked their duty in not telling the people of the country the true position and the state of the funds available for unemployment relief. They were using the present position to place the blame on the Government. Labour Voices: It is on the Government.

Mr. Coates: The honourable gentlemen as citizens of this country elected by their fellow citizens have a responsibility.

Labour Members: We recognise that. Mr. Coates: That places on them very definitely the obligation of saying what can and what cannot be done.

Mr. R. Semple (Lab., Wellington East): We have said that the people should be fed.

Mr. Coates: The people will be fed. One must remember that to encourage men to leave work, such as it is, and the sustenance they may gain as the result of that work, is misleading completely. Mr. W. E. Barnard (Lab., Napier): That has not been done from this side of the House. , : , Mr. Coates said many of the Labour members had been helpful, but a more straightforward and frank declaration of what was possible under the circumstances would/ be more helpful still. Members’ Responsibility. Mr. Semple: Some of us have tried to keep them at their work. Mr. Coates: That is correct. I take it that members on that side of the House, then, advise the registered unemployed to stick to their jobs. . Mr. Holland: We advise the Government to reverse its policy. Mr. Coates:'We have heard much about “slave camps,” but the responsibility must definitely rest with those men who urge these young fellows to leave these camps. As far as is humanly possible the Government will provide for an increase in the funds, and if we can maintain the determination on the part of the citizens in the meantime while conditions are difficult, the best course will be followed. No one will be allowed to starve. That is quite clear. Our organisation is not all that it might be, but in a week or so it will be completed. “There is still a responsibility on the part of local bodies and citizens to come forward to help. It is all wanted,” Mr. Coates said. “It is by means of cooperation on the part of all, and the L’abour Party too, that we will be able to avoid a serious position that might arise. It is essential in the interests of everybody that law and order and decency should be maintained.” Mr. Mason: The result must be there, not merely the effort. Mr. Coates: Some cases are frightfully exaggerated, and there tis no need for it.

Mr. Parry said that had the Government administered the original unemployment legislation in the way intended by the House the position that had developed at Auckland would not have arisen. The unemployed felt that the Government had not given them “a square deal.’ The only thing to do was to provide sustenance as originally intended. He regretted the occurrence at Auckland, and he had appealed to his colleagues there not to do anything in defiance of the law.