DETENTION OF PREMIER

Evening Star, Issue 21935, 23 January 1935, Page 2

DETENTION OF PREMIER

A PEACEFUL PROCEDURE POLICE TACT • [Per United Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, January 22. The incident at Government Buildings last night, though it had the appearance of being accidental, looked like an attempt on the part of some unemployed to delay the Prime Minister (Mr Fobres) while on his way to bid farewell to 11.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester. Tho delay, however, was not serious, and Mr Forbes was able to take part in the official ceremony. The Prime Minister had agreed to meet a deputation of five at 4 p.m., and he kept his promise, hearing their demand for an immediate increase of 10s a week for all relief workers and an ultimate increase to 14s a day for all standard works. He gave a promise to investigate the position immediately he returned to Wellington. This promise was accepted by the deputation, which withdrew just before 5 o’clock. Five minutes later, as Mr Forbes was about to leave the building, a crowd of nearly 300 men and half a dozen women swarmed into the main passage on the first floor, blocking the stairway. Despite the efforts of the leaders of the deputation, the crowd would not remain silent, and a voice moved that the Prime Minister should get into touch with the officials of the Metropolitan Relief Association and order it to issue rations at once. Mr Forbes explained that ho had no power to order the expenditure of local funds, but he agreed to get into touch with the officials. Mr Forbes could not communicate by telephone with the mayor or the chairman of the Relief Association, hut he wrote' a letter asking that assistance he given in necessitous cases. In tho meantime. Inspector Alan Cameron. Senior-sergeant J. Fox. and half a dozen policemen had arrived, the constables being loft outside the building. When the contents of Mr Forbes’s letter were announced the crowd filed cmietly out of the building, permitting Mr Forbes to precede them. Tuttle' notice was taken of the police, whose tact in’keeping out of sight was a factor in maintaining the peaceful nature of the proceedings.