NO DEMONSTRATION

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 248, 15 July 1932, Page 10

NO DEMONSTRATION

‘United Front’ Organisation MEMBERS REJECT PLANS At a meeting held last evening the United Front movement of relief workers and unemployed decided to cancel the plans for a public demonstration at Thorndon to-morrow morning. The voting on the city jobs was about three to one against the proposal. Tills information was supplied by the leaders after the meeting had closed. Tlieir spokesman said: “The United Front is now out of it. The joint committee of the United Front, the Unemployed Workers’ Movement, and tlie Petone and Lower Hutt representatives, formed to arrange the demonstration, has been disbanded.

“We have taken steps to inform the U.W.M. and the Petone and Hutt men of our decision. Don’t mix us up with anything they may do. “We want to make it clear that the United Front is controlled by the meu on the jobs and not by the leaders, who are simply their delegates. The majority of the men on the jobs turned down the demonstration. That is why it has been declared off.” Another delegate informed “The Dominion” that the voting of United Front members on the various city relief jobs was 700 against the proposed demonstration and 240 for it. Bad feeling was caused at the meeting last evening by the action of tlie United Front leaders in refusing admission to one man who claimed to represent 130 relief workers on the Winter Show job.

These men, their representative stated, formerly were members' of the Relief Workers’ Section of the political Labour party. They withdrew as a result of the May strike and subsequently held aloof from the reorganised R.W.S., regarding it as a “scab” movement. Their delegate was appointed tq attend last evening’s United Front meeting with the object of joining up with that organisation. He was told he could not be present and, after an argument with the leaders, withdrew. DECISION REPUDIATED . Movement’s Announcement At a meeting of the Wellington branch of the Unemployed Workers’ Movement, held, last evening, the following statement was drawn up for issue to the Press: — "The executive of the U.W.Mi have decided that, in view of the fact that the’ Hutt, Petone, and Johnsonville men are demonstrating to the Unemployment Board on Saturday morning, and that such demonstrations are to be held nationally on that date, the demonstration as arranged for the Wellington relief workers will definitely take place. The executive considers that the voting as represented by the United Front at their meeting to-night is ■ incorrect, and that it does not express the wish of the relief workers of Wellington. The U.W.M. definitely repudiates Hie United Front Organisation, and is proceeding with arrangements for the demonstration.” I