A HEATED INTERLUDE

Evening Star, Issue 20591, 17 September 1930, Page 6

A HEATED INTERLUDE

UNEMPLOYED AND MAYOR [?eb United Press Association.] WELLINGTON September IG. When, after a rather heated interlude. the mayor of Wellington (Mr G. A. Troup) moved at a meeting ho had called that an appeal be made for donations towards a fund to provide work for the unemployed, and his motion was defeated on a show of hands, ho disbanded the meeting. Among those present were a large number of men who ws-o apparently unemployed. The Mayor said that 450 men wero to bo employed on relief ' works by the City Council, but there would be a gap between the cessation of those works and the operation of the new Act, and the donations would be used to bridge the gap. The sum of £63 had been subscribed already. His motion that an appeal be made to tho citizens for funds was lost. Ho had intended to move another that a committee bo set np to go between tho men and potential 'employer*. An amendment moved by Mr T. Bromley, a member of tho Unemployment Committee of tho Trades and Labour Council, that all works already, approved,, for which finance had been provided, bo started immediately, and that a farthing in tho pound rate bo levied on the unimproved value for other works, was ruled out of order. After the meeting had closed, between 50 and 100 unemployed met on the Town Hall steps, where threatening language was used, one speaker saying that only workers were concerned in unemployment, and the only thing that mattered to employers was that they might find a brick through their window or something else unpleasant. There were several speakers, including two women, and the proceedings were quite lively until the lights were turned out, when tho groups dispersed.