WORKLESS ORGANISE

Hawera Star, Volume L, 16 January 1931, Page 6

WORKLESS ORGANISE

MASS ASSEMBLY IN CITY ' DEMONSTRATION PLANNED. GREETING TO PRIME MINISTER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 15. Among many other decisions made at a mass meeting of workers in tne trades hall this evening was one by which all workers employed on certain city council works for three hours a day in return for bed and meals refused to go to work to-morrow, they are to draw in all other men employed on these works who were not at the meeting thi3 evening and at 2.30 tomorrow afternoon they are to assemble at the hospital to demand the same sustenance they would have received from the charitable aid board hau they worked during the day Another resolution passed provided for another meeting to be held on Sunday to make arrangements for a demonstration of ,unemployed on luesday when the Prime Minister returns to'New Zealand. On January 23 unemployed are to attend the Magistrate’s Court in force when some prisoners will appear to face charges 6miliar to those for which men were sentenced just before Christmas. A letter is, to be written to tlie Minister of Justice demanding their immediate recover 600 people were present this evening. The hall was full to overflowing and numbers of men crowded at the door, stood round the walls and is at on tne floor in front of the platform. There was a number of women in the audience and some of them took part in the general debate. The chairman, Mr. J. Sanford, had. difficulty m keeping order at times owing to interjections and general uproar caused by two and more speakers trying to address the audience at the same time. The meeting resolved itself into an “unemployed organisation movement,’ and elected a committee of fifteen to act as an executive. This committee' was given a series of “demands” for attention, but its first “job” is the handling of the 1 demonstration at the hospital to-morrow afternoon, tor which it made what arrangements it could after the main meeting closed.

“NOT GOING TO STARVE.” DEMAND FOR SUSTENANCE. Bit! AUCKLAND PROCESSION. AUCKLAND, Jan. 15. Hopes that the city council might he able to do something to relieve the •present acute position of the unemployed were dashed this morning when the Mayor, Mr. G. Baild'on, told a deputation that it was impossible for the council to find work as there was no money available, and the only possibility" of assisting was by the Loans Board granting a loan the. council was asking. If that were granted about ICO men would be employed on the waterfront road. The procession of unemployed to the Town Hall was the biggest yet held in Auckland. About 800 men and one woman assembled in Customs Street and marched up Queen Street to the Town Hall, where a deputation of nine delegates appointed was given an audience by the Mayor. .Speakers without exception stressed the serious position of thousands of unemployed and the need of some immediate relief. Work was asked for, but speakers said the Governmnt having failed -in its duty to provide that work, the men were now asking for sufficient sustenance. One speaker said the time had arrived when men would Jo anything to get sustenance. The Mayor: ‘‘ls that a. threat?” “No, it is not a threat, but the men are nob going to starve. The law docs nob allow men to. commit suicid'e.” Another member of the deputation said the position of men attending the labour bureau morning after morning to be told there was nothing doing was little short of disgraceful. SPECIAL SESSION URGED. In replying, the Mayor said lie wanted to congratulate the men on the way they had brought their troubles before ■him. They had the full sympathy of the city council, but the council had gone as far as it could and) had to keep within limits. The Mayor said he was very disappointed with the work on the main highways and he thought the Alain Highways Board should be approached and asked to push on with work.

“I think the proper courtse for you to take,” sai<f the Mayor, “is to approach members of Parliament; they make the laws. Get the whole of them together and have a conference. You can tell them better than I can your position, and! see if they cannot do something for you. I am willing to do anything I can to help, but the council at present has no money at all to spend on relief works.”

One member of the deputation said they knew as much, no more than when they came in. hut he thanked the Mayor for the patient hearing he had accorded the delegates. “What am J to go and tell the thousand men outside i'” he asked. “Thowe men are getting desperate, and I am expected to go out and tell them, what—that there is nothing, and the. council can do nothing?” “I am very sorry,’’ said the Mayor, “hut I have explained the position, and we have no money to spend.” The deputation then withdrew and the men outside were asked to fall in and march to the Trades Hall, where they would he told what had transpired in the Mayor’s office. At the Trades Hall there was some fairly plain talk, the inactivity of the Government being severely criticised. Mr. W. Parry, Labour member, and Mr. J. Purtell, addressed tbe gathering, and a resolution was passed calling upon Parliament to hold a specirfl session immediately and provide some measure by which the unemployed would lie given work or allotted sustenance.