BRAWL IN COUNCIL ROOMS

Hawera Star, Volume L, 6 January 1931, Page 5

BRAWL IN COUNCIL ROOMS

DISPUTE LEADS TO BLOWS

UNEMPLOYMENT TAX THEORIES

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 5

Heated words were exchanged between Mr. W. E. Leadley, member of the Unemployment Board, and Mr. R. J. Ecroyd, member of the Christchurch Unemployment Committee, prior to a meeting of the committee in the City Council chambers to-day. Mr. Leadley twice struck Mr. Ecroyd, once knocking him down and causing him to strike his head on the stairs, and on the second occasion blackening liis eye. Mr. Ecroyd, who is in his 70th year, did not retaliate. Mr. Leadley is 46.

The dispute arose out of a report published in the Christchurch Press 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 there was no, doubt that the unemployment levy would be increased by Parliament next session. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Labour took notice of the statement, refuting it, and Mr. Leadley at once made a (public statement to the effect that be had not made the statement in the form reported, and that Mr. Ecroyd bad first said the levy would have to be raised. Mr. Leadley bad agreed, saying “nothing surer.” Mr. Ecroyd at once wrote a letter denying that Mr. Leadlev’s account was accurate.

To-day, when Mr. Ecroyd and Mr. Leadley met, Mr. Leadley raised the question of what had happened at the meeting. Mr. Ecroyd denied having said the levy would be increased. Mr. Leadley declared Mr. Ecroyd had said this and Mr. Ecroyd retorted, “You are a liar,” whereupon Mr. Leadley struck him. After an interval the two met again in another part of the building and the argument was renewed. Mr. Ecroyd again called Mr. Leadley a liar and Mr. Leadley again struck him. Mr. Leadley later apologised to Mr. Ecroyd for his angry violence, but insisted that his account of what happened at the meeting was correct. Mr. Ecroyd stoutly maintained that Mr. Leadley’s account was wrong.