AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE

Evening Star, Issue 21099, 11 May 1932, Page 12

AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE

STRONG FORGE OF POLICE GATES AND FENCES FORTIFIED With a crowd of upwards of 2,000 people clamouring at tho gates and a strong cordon of police watching sharply for the least sign of an outbreak, Parliament Buildings were the scene of a most remarkable incident in the closing hours of one of the most momentous sessions in the history of Parliament in this country. At tho moment when the GovernorGeneral was ap. ending his signature giving vice-regal assent to the legislation recently enacted, relief workers with their relatives and sympathisers were murmuring in an ugly tone against the effects of the new laws and threatening to storm the buildings to gain satisfaction for themselves. As ample warning had been given of the march on Parliament by masses of unemployed, and in view of one or two false alarms in the past few weeks, the authorities were well prepared for emergencies, and as soon as word was received that the great procession had left the Basin Reserve, stops were taken to fortify the gates and surrounding fences of parliamentary grounds with mounted and infantry uniformed police. A crowd quickly gathered as the head of the ’procession reached the large iron gates, only to find these shut against them, and the wide open space in front of tho war memorial was soon filled with participants and spectators. Adopting the constitutional method, on the advice of their leaders, the crowd waited outside the gates while selected delegates were allowed through to the interior of the buildings to interview Mr Coates and protest against the new scale of rates and the new conditions of relief workers.

As time passed and the delegates had not returned, a man named Kelly, who is well known as a leader of these demonstrations, led a series of addresses, mainly criticising the Government’s policy and Mr Coates’s unemployment scheme in particular. " WE WART COATES " “ We want Coates,” called the crowd when admission to the grounds was persistently refused them, and the cry was quickly taken up and echoed throughout tho big concourse. Several militant voices suggested storming the low concrete fence encircling the grounds, and on one occasion a determined movement at tho rear of the crowd forced the front rankers against the gates in a very ugly manner. Half a dozen speakers addressed tho crowd, urging them to organise and take action in a constitutional but determined manner. “ The uniformed forces all round us are thoroughly organised,” one of the leaders said. “ Let us organise ourselves into a properly-constituted strike committee.” At one stage, when it appeared the crowd would disregard the leaders’ advice and storm over the parapet, Kelly exhorted them to wait for Mr Coates’s reply. “ Let us get the reply,” he said, “ and consider it to-night. Then if we do not get satisfaction to-morrow wo can take action.”

A majority of the crowd appeared disinclined to adopt this course, and the cry was once more raised: “We want Coates,” while side arguments proceeded in the crowd. The standards which had borne the banners were thrown over the fence, hut these were confiscated by policemen and smashed up. The attention of the assemblage was suddenly diverted from the gates to a nearby tree up which a member of the militant section had climbed. He quickly commanded ordei’, and shouted for direct action. “ Give them five minutes to get back,” he said, “ and if they haven’t an answer, then over the top we go.” Loud cheers greeted this suggestion, hut the leaders again prevailed upon the good sense of the mob and sent an emissary up to the buildings to sec how the deputation was faring. After some time he returned and reported that the deputation had just been admitted to Mr Coates’s room, and was then being heal'd. A little later Mr P. Fraser, M.P., arrived at the gates, and was promptly counted out and boohed when ho mounted a corner post to speak. Ho explained that the men’s view had been represented to Mr Coatc.; with the opinion that the new relief scheme was worse than the old. “ Personally, lam a hundred per cent, with the men who have walked _ off their jobs,” Mr Fraser said amid cheers from the crowd and further counting out from another section. He urged constitutional action.

The deputation was away a long time, and darkness was enveloping the city when the emissaries returned to report that Mr Coates had assured them that he would see immediately what could be

done to provide the necessaries of life and improve the conditions of relief work. Ho would give an official published reply to-morrow morning. This message was taken very badly by tho waiting assemblage, hundreds of whom by that time were feeling the effects of the bitter south wind and were in a nasty temper. Boohs and shouts of derision rose from all parts of tho sea of faces, which looked almost eerie in the floodlights Illuminating the Cenotaph. A brick w'as thrown, breaking a light globe, and an iron bar fell at the feet of a spectator. THE OUTBREAK POLICE AT DISADVANTAGE “ Up tho town,” someone called, and tho call spread with alarming rapidity. For a few moments no move was made in the direction of Lambton quay, but when a small section of a few hundreds broke the main body hesitated, and then followed. Kelly and associates tried vainly to shout the crowd into submission,’ inducing a few to stay, but tho general movement was too strong, and tho scamper which led to rioting and destruction began. The police were completely taken by surprise. All their defences were concentrated inside Parliament Grounds, and, -while adequate steps had been taken to stem any move in that direction, nothing had been done to encircle the crowd Jtself and keep the mob confined to the side streets or to orderly exits from the danger zone. Consequently, despite all precautions, a great part of tho rioting was going on before the police realised what was happening, and even though some of them followed the crowd, the rioters continued unchecked through the main streets of the city, smashing windows, hurling any implements at hand, and causing widespread destruction. Members of the deputation to Mr Coates, who endeavoured to explain the results of their mission to the Minister, were howled down at every sentence, and the cry “We want Coates; bring him here,” was renewed with great vigour. It was plain that the darkness would make the task of the police in clearing the streets extremely difficult, because the temper of the crowd had increased. Commissioner Wohlraann and Mr Cobbe (the Minister of Justice) patrolled the inside of the grounds, watching developments. The buildings themselves were -well protected, and the additional strength recently applied to all doors was employed when tho crowd approached the buildings, only one entrance remaining open.

MR COATES WITHHOLDS STATEMENT WAITING FOR RETURN TO WORK In view of the serious disturbances which occurred in the city this evening Mr Coates refuses to make a comprehensive statement regarding the requests of the relief work strikers for an improvement in the new rates of pay and conditions until all work has been resumed. Making this clear at midnight, Mr Coates said the Mayor of Wellington and members of the Wellington Unemployment Committee had conferred with him to-day on questions affecting the relief workers and the change-over from the old No. 5 scheme to the new. The interviewers Had stated that as a result of the change many of those receiving relief would be in a less favourable position than previously. Ho (Mr Coates) had indicated that he would go into the question at once, with a view to ascertaining whether the new organisation was complete so far as Wellington was concerned, and whether it was in a position to give extra relief in those cases where the new scale was shown on investigation to be insufficient. Immediately following this interview, three representatives of the men on relief works and one woman repro-

senting married and single women approached the Minister, and after they had stated _ their individual cases Mr Coates replied in terms similar to his reply to the previous deputation, with the addition that he made it clear that single men who could not obtain exemption were expected to accept the relief work offering in single men’s camps.

A final request was made that those who had that day left their work would not be victimised. The Minister said they would not be so dealt with provided all hands went quietly home and resumed work in the morning. A plea was made that the relief workers should be allowed to meet again at the Basin Reserve in working time to-morrow to consider matters further. This request was not agreed to, and' the delegation retired at 5 p.m. 1

A meeting was held to-night between the Minister and the Unemployment Board, the mayor and deputy-chairmen of the Mayor’s Relief Committee, and representatives of the Hospital Board, when the position was fully discussed and a decision was reached. It must, however, be clear that as a result of this evening’s happenings the position is entirely changed. The undertaking given on the part of the interviewers was not observed, and Mr Coates said: “ In view of what has until the men resume work I shall postpone making any statement.” ALL RELIEF WORK " BLACK " POWER CONCENTRATED IN STRIKE COMMITTEE The Relief Workers’ Strike Committee met immediately after the window smashing had ceased, and was addressed by Mr P. Fraser, M.P., and Mr A. Parlane, of the Drivers’ Union, who endorsed the action taken by the Strike Committee up to that evening, but discountenanced all acts of violence. They approved of the manner in which the demonstration to Parliament Buildings had been organised and the conduct of the demonstrators until their dispersal. After the speakers retired a Relief Finance Committee of seven members was formed, with power to act. A Trade Union Committee of three was elected. All relief works in Wellington were declared black, only the Strike Committee to take any steps towards a settlement of the dispute. A mass meeting of relief workers will be held to-morrow morning.