RELIEF WORKERS’ UNREST

Evening Star, Issue 21076, 13 April 1932, Page 5

RELIEF WORKERS’ UNREST

QUIETER ATMOSPHERE TO-DAY

FOOD DISTRIBUTED FROM DEPOT In the streets this morning.there was 'little evidence of the demonstrative restlessness which has prevailed during the past few days among the dissatisfied section of Dunedin’s relief workers. In response to yesterday’s offer of the Mayor (Mr R. S. Black) to open the St. Andrew street depot at 9 o’clock this morning for the distribution of relief, certain spokesmen for ■ the unemployed stated that it, the depot' was opened at that hour it would bo cleaned out, smashed up, and closed three minutes later. This wild threat, however, did not materialise, and this morning food was being distributed in a regular ; manner. to those who had gone for assistance. The mayor himself was on the spot for about an hour, and Superintendent Eccles, with a strong body of police, kept a close watch over the building. Throughout the morning there was no very large gathering of the unem-ployed,-but several groups were to be seen' standing about in St. Andrew street. ' In Princes street in front of the Town Hall a number of women and men remained for the greater part of the morning.

COUNTERACTING PICKETS' EFFORTS

WORKERS TO BE PROTECTED It is reported that, despite the efforts of the pickets, many of the Scheme No.' 5 groups which were due to start this morning turned out to work. In some cases the influence of the malcontents has been felt, but both the mayor and Superintendent Eccles have made it clear that , any active efforts by the pickets to further a strike will not be tolerated, and willing workers who have been apprehensive about starting have been assured that they will be protected. Police were in attendance at about noon, when various gangs in and around the city started work for the day, and at 2.30 the superintendent reported that the work was going on satisfactorily. To-day definite arrangements were made for the organisation of a strong body of police to be present on every group location to-morrow morning, the object being to give men who are loyal to their work every opportunity of earning the money they and their dependents need so badly. The St. Kilda groups are still working steadily. “No man in Dunedin need be afraid to go to work if he wants to,” said the mayor this morning when discussing, the attempts being made to keep men from working under No. 5 scheme. “No man need worry; if the other fellows stop him, they will be dealt with,” continued the mayor, who said he had the citizens of Dunedin behind him for the preservation of law and order. “Make it clear that no man need be afraid of working, and that if he has any trouble in this way he should come to me, and we shall see that such tactics are prevented.” Thus, ’it seems that one of the speakers at yesterday afternoon’s gathering in the Queen’s Gardens was not very accurate in his forecast. He said that only one group, No. 214, was still at work, atv that time, and guaranteed that by the end of the present week there would not be one man at work under scheme No. 5. Even if half a group tried to carry on they would be very quickly prevented. It was also intimated that telegrams had been sent to all the centres calling on relief workers everywhere to down tools, and the opinion was expressed that in a few days the strike would be general throughout the whole of New Zealand.

STRIKE EFFORTS IN AUCKLAND

[Per Ukited Press Association.] AUCKLAND, April 13. A strike of all relief workers in the Auckland provincial area, described by its organisers as a protest against intolerable conditions, was called for today. It is proposed also that all relief workers should assemble in the city early that afternoon and march through Queen street to the Town Hall. The degree in which the strike has been successful was difficult to gauge this morning owing to the relief jobs being widely scattered, and also because many men were not working, it being their stand - down week. Reports from Mount Roskill, Onehunga, One Tree Hill, Newmarket, Ellerslie, Northcote, Birkenhead, and Papatoetoe state that all the men eligible for work to-day are working. At Otahuhu only twelve out of 300 are working. At New Lynn 200 is the total number idle, and at Devonport seventy-seven out of 120 are working. Some attempts are being made to induce those working to but ho far the police aro on watch, and have had little trouble.

NO GAMP WORK

RELIEF WORKERS’ ATTITUDE [Ppj; United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, April 12. A meeting of 700 relief workers today decided not to accept work under the camp scheme, and following the meeting a> statement was issued that the men were determined to seek justice in future by well-organised and well-disciplined methods. The business of dealing with the question of immediate action in order to get the Government to realise its responsibilities was taken in committee. “ A number of objections to go into camps have been received,” said the Chairman of the Wellington Citizens Unemployment Committee, at a committee meeting to-day, and in his opinion these would have to be considered on their merits. They had been asked to send men to the Wauniha camp, but yesterday only sixteen had ottered —ten from Wellington and six from Petone. , . . Ifc was stated by the secretary that the reasons would have to be very sound ones for a man to be kept at work in the city. The only oflicial reason that would be.accepted as adequate for refusal to enter a camp was a medical certificate. A single man working two days a week was not ofacially held to be assisting his dependin' was decided to approach the Unemployment Board asking for a further instruction in the attitude to be adopted in dealing with single men who were necessary in the households of dependents, and suggesting that such men should be delayed Irom going into camp until it became absolutely necessary.

MAYOR'S RELIEF DEPOT

The following donations, received at the mayor’s relief depot, are acknowledged with thanks:—Ernest Adams Ltd., cake; Musselburgh residents, from the stores of Roy, Cuttle, Thompson, Michie, Sneddon, Dunstan, and Tyhe (per J. A. Carman), bread and 173 packages; North-east Valley residents, from the stores of J. Harvey and Co., W. Mowat and Co., Gilbert Thomson, T. Hughes, C. Barnett, A. V. Thomson (per S. M'Bratney), 157 packages; one case jam tumblers from J. Harvey and Co.; St. Clair residents (per J. T. Smith), vegetables and 136 packages; Professor Strong, butter; from the stores of Alf. Brown, Matheson and Moir, Star Stores, and B. R. Ferguson, also the residents of Queen, Pitt, Upper Union, Albany' streets, and Regent road, 46 packages ; North End residents, from M'Farlane and Co.; “ Anon.”, butter, flour, and tea; Mrs J. Turnbull, Opoho, butter; Mrs G. Gray, George street, butter; Mrs J. Dick, Park street, butter; Mrs J. Wallace, Castle street, butter and tea; Maori Hill residents (per Mr Graham), 81 packages; collected by Jack and Bert Hayman, 16 packages; Roslyn residents (per Laurenson’s), 18 packages; bread from Laurenson and Son; Arthur street residents, from the stores of Airey, Miles, Guthrie, and Cumber-, beach,' Small, Mrs M’Naughton, and 41 Brown street;, 28 packages; “A Friend,” six sacks and two crates of vegetables; Tapanui (per J. Edgar, Earl’s Motors), 19 packages; Roslyn residents, from stores of Mackay Bros., and Newman’s (per T. Douglas), 117 packages; Aulsebrook’s Ltd., two tins biscuits; north end residents (per Alexander Allan),, 96 packages and potatoes; Roslyn residents (per Goodley and Sons), 141 packages; Harraway’s Ltd. (per T. Douglas), 1/200 flour; St. Clair residents (per Mr Balueaves), 101 packages; Musselburgh residents, from Mesdames Scurr and Young (per E. Lippert), 26 packages; Caversbam residents (per Mi’ Rutherford), two bags:potatoes and 47 packages; north end residents (per Strong’s Red and White Stores), 45 packages; Mrs Walker, one bag vegetables.

POUND-A-WEEK SCHEME

The secretaries of the Anderson’s Bay pound-a-week scheme (Mrs T.. Somerville and Miss L. A. White) report that depots for the collection of donations to the scheme have been opened at Pringle’s store, Tomahawk road, and Campbell’s store, Silverton street. All donations left at these stores will be taken to the St. Andrew street depot at the end of each week: Residents of the district who wish parcels to be called for may arrange this by communicating with either of the secretaries.

A meeting attended by the mayoress (Mrs R. S. Black), local clergymen, and residents was held in. Reid Hall, South . Dunedin, yesterday afternoon. It was decided not to. make a canvass of the district, hut to ask those residents who wish ,to contribute to. leave their donations at any of the grocers’. The mayor appeals to citizens to do all they can to continue their pqund-a-week donations, as otherwise it will make it very hard for the majority of the unemployed, who are deserving of all the help that can be given them.

HELP FROM KNOX COLLEGE

At a meeting of the theological students of Knox College the seriousness of the present economic situation was fully and freely discussed. All the students were agreed that they as a group .should be vitally concerned about the ; sufferings of' others, especially in those who are unemployed and almost destitute.

It was therefore decided to embark on some definite social service work during the winter months. Several avenues of work were suggested, the two most practicable being at the Moray Place Congregational Church rest rooms, supervised by the Rev. Mr Mead, and at the mayor’s depot. A deputation was appointed to wait upon the mayor and ascertain from him if the services of the students could bo utilised to advantage at the mayor’s depot. The offer of the students has been accepted, and a truck, owned by one of‘them, will be used to collect food in various outlying districts.

MORAY PLACE REST ROOM

A lecture on first aid will bo given to-morrow afternoon, at 2.30, by Mr J. Robertson (St. John Ambulance). On Friday, at 2.30, Mr Lloyd Ross will begin a series of educational lectures, and all men are invited to attend. It is proposed to have a special class for unemployed men if men desire it. Mr Ross will conduct it. Men are asked to express their opinion on Friday and to indicate whether they would attend. Such a class would be of great interest and value.

THE MAYOR'S FUND

The undermentioned donations have been received by the mayor towards his unemployment relief fund; — S. Saltzman £25 0 0 Warded Bros, and Co. ... 10 0 0 Sympathiser 5 0 0

The following letter to the mayor enclosing a donation to the relief funds probably expresses the feelings of many people in Dunedin as a result of the recent disturbances“ Please find enclosed the sum of £5 in aid of your relief fund, although the demonstrations of the past few days tempt me sorely to put it back in my _ purse again. lam sure that such tactics are going to alienate the sympathy of many who might otherwise, like myself, sign themselves ‘ Sympathiser.’ ”

SCHEME NO. 5

Groups will report for work to-mor-row as under;— D.C.C. Reserves Department.—B a.m. at Opoho football ground: Group 506. _ Taierl River Trust.—Group 213 leaves the old Grand Picture Theatre by D.C.C. bus at 7.15 a.m., and other places as arranged. Works Department.—Groups to commence 8 a.m. to-morrow: —3, North road, at Cleghorn street; 5, Woodhaugh street, at quarry; 6, Manuering street, at Belfort street, Yauxball; 7, Bain’s farm, Taieri road, at Ashburn Hall; 9, Sim’s farm, half a mile south-west from St. Clair Golf Club; 10, Gardner street, at Elgin road; 12, North road, at Cleghorn street; 14, Woodhaugh street, at quarry; 15, Wharf street, at French street; 16, Bell’s farm, top of Potter’s road, off Norwood street; the following men of Group 22, at Sonntag’s farm, Brockville road—J. Billington, H. M. Cockerill, A. W. Constable, J. C. Davidson, J. N. Davison, H. W. Evans, J. H. Haldane, D. More, A. B. H. Jones, C. A. Lester; the balance ol Group 22 at Verdon’s farm, Brock-

ville, half a mile above Sonntag’s, at water trough; 30, Woodhaugh street, at quarry; 36, Maclcod’s farm, Ashburn Hall, Taieri road; 46, Norwood street, half a mile above tram terminus; 59, Cavell street, at Locliend street.