BLOWS FOLLOW WORDS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 11406, 6 January 1931, Page 5

BLOWS FOLLOW WORDS

AN UNDIGNIFIED AEGUAIENT

TROUBLE OVER UNEMPLOYAIENT LEVY.

AVHO FIRST SUGGESTED IT AVOULD BE RAISED?

(Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH Jim. o. Heated words were exchanged between Mr. W. E. Leadley, member of' the Unemployment , Board, and Mr. R. J. Eeroyd, a .member of the Unemployment Committee, prior to a'meeting of the committee ni the Citv Council chambers to-day. Mr. Leadley . twice struck Mr. . Eeroyd, once knocking him down and cans- , jrig him. to strike lxis head on thestairs and on the scepnd occasion blackening his eye. _ Mr. Eeroyd, who -is in his seventieth diu, not retaliates Mr. Leadley- .is 46. - The dispute arose'< out of a report published in the Press newspaper, of a statement alleged to have been: made by Mr. Leadley at the last meeting' of the committee. Mr.. Leadley;was reported as having said, that., there ' was >no doubt.that the unemployment levy would ho .in-, creased by Parliament next session. The Pr ime Minister and Minister for Labor took notice of the' statement refuting. > it, and- M r *' Leadley. at, oxico made a public / stateinent to, the effect lie had notjnade the statement .in .the; form reported.;■ that Mr: Eeroyd had first said that., the levy would.' have 'to. be raised, and that \he (Mr.; Leadley). had ag-> leed saying, “Nothing surer. Mr. • Ecfovd ;at .once wrote" a letter, deny-. pig that .Mr. Leadley-.s account wasaccurate,'. v:- y/ '' t v: '■ ■■ \'", : 'r i To-day,’ "VYhep Mr. Eeroyd and Mr. Leadley met,'. Mr.-i-Loadley raised the, opestion of what had happened at •the-meeting arid Mr. Ecrpyd denied baying the levy 'would he ;m-» Cl*C£lSCd • ' ,4, :" " • / • . Mr.-. Leadley. declared that ivlr. .; Eeroyd had said this. ' . ; , Eeroyd -.retorted: • “\ou are a y'damuect ■ Tiarwhereupon , Mr. Leadley struck him. • After some interval, the two -met _ again.:.in. another part-of. the build--ing and the argument was renewed. Mr. Eeroyd called Mr Leadley a ’dalnned liar, and Mr; - Leadley again struck him. ; Mr. Leadley, later, apologised’ toMr. Eeroyd for . his .angrv violence, hut insisted -that ; his - account of what happened at the meeting was • ciriSxect^-w^'b', • hfr. ’ Ecrovd : stoutly mam tamed that •' MrV " LSddjey’ s account, was » WTOng'-'v. • .