UNUSUAL SCENES

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12577, 12 June 1935, Page 5

UNUSUAL SCENES

MR. APPLEBY AND FAMILY evicted: •': v furniture on footpath decorated ayith placards. ' v 1 WORKERS HANDLING GOODS DOWN TOOLS. TEMPORARY SETTLEMENTREACHED ■ - € * ' - ' BOARD PROVIDED BY } HOSPITAL AUTHORITIES ... \ . Unusual scenes for Gisborne were witnessed in Gladstone road yesterday when Steps were taken to give effect to. the order of eviction made against a relief worker, Mr. W. Appleby. When removal of part of the fnrnit are had been carried out, the men engaged on the task refused to continue. Two "others'were brought, to the house)’<hut they also refused to complete the work. Until late in the afternoon the furniture remained bn the footpath, but a temporary settlement was then effected and the Cook Hospital Board arranged board for Mr. Appleby, bis wife and two children. The house occupied by Mr. Appleby is situated at an intersection of Gladstone road- and Disraeli street. It was stated yesterday that during the period be has occupied the premises Mr. Appleby has paid an average of os per week in rent. At the last meeting of the Borough Council, a deputation from ■ the. Unemployed Workers’ Movement urged that Mr. Appleby be'allowed to occupy a. house belonging to the council, but this request was refused, largely on the ground that other local residents had offered to lease the premises. About 10.30 a.m. yesterday the bailiff with two men provided by the landlord’s .solicitor arrived to take possession of the house occupied by Mr. Appleby and family under a Court order. There was a fairly large gathoring of spectators, including many relief workers, and several policemen were also present. Following brief discussion, > a start was made with the. removal of the furniture, this being taken out and placed on the footpath. As 'this work proceeded, the workmen were subjected to a running tire of comment., mainly emanating from lady spectators. Cameras were produced and several photographs taken. Eventually, when about half the contents had been removed to the footpath, the tiro workmen engaged refused to continue. After some delay, the solicitor obtained the services of two men from a local firm, but, when they arrived and found that an eviction was in progress, they refused to have anything to do with the matter. This created a deadlock and, until late in the afternoon, there were no further developments. During the interim, the goods remained on the footpateh, ornamented with the following notices in large letters: “We demand the right to live. No eviction.” “£SOOO spent on war planes—‘.unemployed thrown on streets.” “Don’t let them smash up your home.” “£IO,OOO spent on Minister’s trips Home—eviction for workers.” “Your turn next. Support no eviction.” About 3.30 p.m. a letter was delivered to Mr. Appleby saying that, at a meeting of the welfare committee of the Cook Hospital Board that afternoon, it had been decided to offer accommodation for Mrs. Appleby and the two children, pending consideration of the matter by the full hoard on Thursday of next, week. A series of telephone conversations with the hospital'authorities followed and finally an offer of £3 to provide board for the whole of the evicted family, until to-morrow week, was made. This was accepted by Mr. Appleby, after consultation with other members of the .Unemployed Workers’ Movement. The bailiff arrived again soon after and, following further discussion, Mr Appleby agreed to remove some of the more valuable pieces of furniture to the house of a friend. The bailiff arranged for a lorry to transport the remainder to a store for safe keepingin the meantime. In completing the removal of the furniture Mr. Appleby and others of the unemployed handled the articles. Throughout- the day there was a. crowd in regular attendance about the house and many members of the public came to the spot to view the unusual scene of placarded furniture on the footpath. HOSPITAL BOARD’S ATTITUDE. OFFICIAL STATEMENT ISSUED. Air. Appleby’s case was considered yesterday at a meeting of the welfare committee of the Cook Hospital Board. There were present at the meeting Dr. J. C. Collins (actingchairman), Mrs. A. Beer, Messrs. C. G. B'ayliss and F. O’. Leggett. The following statement was made later by Dr. Collins on behalf of the committee: —• “It has been brought under the notice of this committee that the affairs of Mr. Appleby have reached a stage in which the board is called upon to act. As the affairs have received so much publicity, the committee, in the absence of the chairman of the board, who is ill a.t present, has unanimously (leaded to make public the decisions which they Lave arrived at as an outcome of their deliberations. “At the last meeting of the board, it was decided that' Mr. Appleby should find a house, but the .board out of consideration for the wife and children would be agreeable to meet. the cost of rent of a. house for a per-■ iod of four weeks, the matter to be reviewed from month to month. “The secretary of the Hospital Board, in .view' , of • i certain .circum- ■■ stances which have arisen, has . gqpe to the trouble of interviewing the majority of agents in town, none of whom are agreeable to lot a house except under the condition that,, the

board guarantees for an indefinite period the rent of such house. Thus, the question of providing Mr. Appleby with a bouse becomes an impossible one for the board. However, this committee has definitely and unanimously decided on application by Mr Appleby to the secretary of the board that he shall provide the wife and two children with board and residence pending the next meeting of the board. Meanwhile, the committee cony aiders that Air. Appleby himself must bo responsible for his own sustenance, as at the present time he is receiving sustenance sufficient for his own maintenance. , .< ‘‘Tho committee would also definitely state that this action by it must in no way bo misconstrued as a 'precedent for the future. (The Mayor, unfortunately, was unable to attend this meeting, having been called away to AVairoa, but the secretary of the board assures this committee that Mr Coleman is in perfect accord wit 1 the aption- the committee has '.taken/’ ■■ : Jl' V •' ,\ 'i , .V