COUNCIL'S REGRET PALMERSTON TROUBLE

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 125, 29 May 1934, Page 8

COUNCIL'S REGRET

PALMERSTON TROUBLE

DISCOURTESY TO MR. FORBES

SOME IRRESPONSIBLES

(Special to the "Evening Post.")

PALMERSTON N., This Day.

Because the Minister of Employment has been unable to .return to Wellington for the meeting of Cabinet called for yesterday, decision on the camp issue . as_ it affects Palmerston North relief workers is delayed.

: Shortly after 7 p.m. yesterday the following telegram was received by the City Council from the Prime Minister:

Cabinet today has been giving earnest consideration to unemployment matters, but finality could not be reached until the Minister of Employment returns to; Wellington on Wednesday. Atthe-time the: previous telegram was sent it was expected that the Hon. A. Hamilton'would return today, but he-was unable to cancel certain engagements he had'made in the north. The decison of the Government will be made known to you without' delay. /' : i

~- The Mayor informed the council that in the previous message from the Prime : Minister. the order sending men to the camp was suspended till May 29. He thought.a telegram .should ,be dispatched to the Prime Minister seeking advice, as to'the official position on this suspended order. ~ './.'.'

At 10.20 p.m. a reply waß received stating that arrangements :had already been made for the camp'orders to be suspended in the meantime. "That demonstration, had it gone a little farther, would have been .an, ugly affair," declared Councillor. W., :B; Tennent at the City. Council meeting, when referring -to the demonstration of unemployed last Tuesday' Tiight on the occasion of the visit of the Prime Minister. -He moved as follows:—

That this council, as the citizens' representatives, desires to dissociate itself entirely from the discourtesy extended to the Prime Minister last Tuesday night, and express its extreme regret at such an occurrence. / Further,, this council feels it was caused entirely by a few .irrespon- ' sibleswho by no means represent the large majority of the unemployed, and is convinced that the citizens of , Palmerston North . strongly deplore that public, gatherings, particularly , those meeting Ministers of the Crown; ". should be characterised by such conduct as might lead to regrettable disorder. — ■•.,-■• A DISRUPTIVE ELEMENT. Councillor Tennent! added that he wanted to make it perfectly clear that he . .was not .directing his . motion against the Mayor'or the unemployed, but solely against a certain element wanting to take advantage of every opportunity to upset law and order and the present :Constitution.. The Mayor was. certainly justified in telling the Prime Minister what the council had done for the unemployed, and he. was also, pleased to hear the' Mayor. say he would riot \stand for the * insults that had been;hurled at.the iPrime Minister. The speaker said he believed a very large majority of the unemployed were loyal and law-abiding citizens, but there was "a' certain sectioir whose job was to try and.pyerthrow-the• Constitution and- imjpose in its place 'a Bussian style of government. The .time had arrived, when they must set!their faces against the action of that section, and at. the same time drop a bint to the unemployed that if .they -allowed themselves to be used by'"this particular -section, they would lose the sympathy of a; section who were doing^their utmost to help them, as well as get nowhere with the authorities. ;

Councillor W. B. Cameron seconded the motion. -' ' . •

The Mayor (Mr. 'A, E. Mansford) said he would hate to think "that the Prime Minister thought the council, as a council," was associated with the de: monstration. . "I want; to assure the council," Mr. Mansford added, that I took the earliest' opportunity to write the Prime Minister, and deplore what took place, on behalf, of the citizens of Palmerston North. As far as lam personally concerned, I knew nothing about the demonstration until I got outside my door about 8 o'clock and heard the shouting. When the Prime' Minister spoke as he did.about the council I realised it was time for me to enter into the affair." • Mr. Mansford said he made it quite clear that Mr. Forbes was entitled to respect byryirtue of thefact that he was Prime Minister! "I don't want anybody to run away with the idea that I was a party to what'happened," added the Malyor. In the past it had been the custom for Ministers to advise the Mayor of a town of their intended arrival, but on this occasion-he had received no such advice from Mr Forbes, or from the Hon. A. Hamilton' or.the Hon. E. Masters. • ' ... ■■.'/'■.- ---\■; VNO KEGRETS. '"' Councillor Hodgens said that probably unfortunately for himself he had been associated with the demonstration, but had no regrets about it. What he did, of course, had nothing to do with the council, as a council, and while" agreeing with a lot of what Councillor Tennent.had said, heVould not have a responsible Minister give practically no consideration to the.representations made by the workless earlier m the day. Some consideration could be given the demonstrators, for a Prime Minister should be easily approached, and on this question of unemployment it was extremely difficult to get into touch with that gentleman. Councillor Hodgens said he had never taken part in a demonstration before, and the. appeal made, by the. men had certainly bad had an effect on Mr..Forbes. If the demonstration had not taken place they would probably not have got the Prime Minister where he was now. y :" . '-.'■■ .. ■ The. motion was carried. Asked by letter if it would appoint a representative on the A.nti-Camp Council recently set up in Palmerston North, the City Council decided not to do so, but nevertheless entered, its protest against compulsory' camps. ,•