MEETING IN UPROAR

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 26, 1 February 1932, Page 8

MEETING IN UPROAR

HUTT MEN DISAGREE

NO WORK AT EASTBOURNE YET

The meeting called for this morning by tho Lower Hutt counter-organisation, which held its first meeting on Saturday, was attended by about 150 men. It was by no means a unanimous meeting, and it is impossible to say what was the feeling of the majority of'thoso present, as numerous resolutions proposed were either not put to tho meeting, or, if put, it was impossible to say if they were carried or otherwise owing to tho fact thai;-only a portion of those present voted. The meeting at stages was being addressed by as many as four persons at the same time, and it was quite impossible to record any of the speeches owing to the uproar. One man stated that it was the nearest approach he had seen to the pandemonium of a wool sale.

Shortly after the meeting was commenced the bona fides of tho chairman, Mr. G. Noble, as a Telief worker were challenged, and he left the meeting to obtain his ticket. No deputy chairman was appointed, and thereafter the meeting was entirely out of control.

It appeared, however, that the- majority of those present were dissatisfied with the strike methods and anxious to go back to work, although it is not possible to say whether those who had been working at Eastbourne were prepared to return unconditionally. Before he left, the chairman informed the meeting that a deputation had waiiied upon Mr. W. Nash, M.P., on Saturday, and that he had stated his willingness to meet a mass meeting of workers, but not any one section. The chairman desired the meeting to say if it was prepared to meet Mr. Nash at 3 p.m., but the resolution, though proposed, was not put. NO DECISION. A further resolution, proposed by Mr. Burt, that no further meetings be held but that relief workers in Lower Hutt report for work to-morrow morning and then negotiate for better conditions, was also talked out. Mr. I. H. Johnson, one of the leaders of the other party, and also many of the men who had taken a prominent part in the demonstration were present, Mr. Johnson several times appealing for a fair hearing for the other side. IMPROVED CONDITIONS? After the meeting had broken up a number departed for the demonstrators' meeting, held each day at Strand Park, but about a hundred stood about in groups in front of the Town Hall, and the Mayor, Mr. \V. T. Strand, who was on his way to the council chambers, seized the opportunity and spoke to the men, who gathered in front of the Town Hall. Mr. Strand,-owing to illhealth, spoke with considerable difficulty, and received a sympathetic hearing. He stated that chits were obtainable immediately for any man who desired to go back to work, and that relief work would be definitely commenced to-morrow morning. The men would be sent to work in-groups of 50 each, and would return under the same conditions, but he was at that moment about to leave for Wellington to see the authorities and try and get the conditions he personally considered the men were entitled to. A voice: ""What do you consider we are entitled to?" Mr. Strand: "I am going to try and get more than you are getting at present if it is at all possible." WORK AVAILABLE TO-MORROW. Asked if one of the jobs the men would be started on to-morrow was at Eastbourne, Mr. Strand gave his assurance that it was not, and that the work to be provided to-morrow would be as far as possible within the borough. One of the men who was at tho deputation to Mr. Coatcs on Saturday asked how it was possible for Mr. Strand to expect to get better conditions when Mr. Coates had said the money was not available.

In reply Mr. Strand said there were little injustices to the Hutt men which were capable of adjustment. He hoped that ultimately better conditions would be available, anci he was fighting" for that end and would continue to fight. (Cheers.)

When asked how the Eastbourne job cam© to be put on the No. 5 scheme, Mr. Strand said that it was done by the decision of the Unemployment Board. Ho gave his assurance that no relief worker would be put on at present in the Taita cemetery.

lie pointed out that local bodies were at their wits' end to find suitable procluctivp work for the unemployed, and

that was why the No. 5 scheme had been widened, so that productive works could be included. Lower Hutt had spent £6000 on supervision, tools, and material for relief work during the last nine months, and that could not go on.

In reply to one of the women present, Mr. Strand said that he had nothing whatever to do with the administration of charitable aid relief, which was a matter for the Charitable Aid Board.