UNEMPLOYED DISTURBANCE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 7, 8 December 1930, Page 3

UNEMPLOYED DISTURBANCE.

CLASH WITH POLICE AT CHRISTCHURCH. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH ,Dec. 6. An ugly scene developed in Cathedral Square this morning when the police ordered a meeting of unemployed to be broken up. A struggle took place between two or three constables and an unemployed leader when the latter persisted in attempting to address a gathering of over 300. Other constables then had to use force to keep the crowd, back. Finally the leaders of the men decided to change the place of meeting and some of them marched to Victoria Square, where the gathering was fairly orderly. -A banner carried by tho men read: “Fools Starve. Alen Fight. Work or Wages.”

RIOT IN A CAAIP. JUDGE’S STRONG COMAIENT. Per Press Association.

NELSON, Dec. 6. In sentencing a number of men from an unemployment relief camp to various terms of imprisonment for taking part in a drunken riot and damaging a tent, Air Justice Reed referred to the police report, for which he had asked, concerning conduct in unemployment camps. “It would be very useful,” he said, “if a copy of this statement were sent to the Unemployment Board. They may lie able in some way to regulate the payments to these men so that the unfortunate ratepayers who are sup-

posed to be assisting these men should not have their money wasted in the way it apparently is, in the purchase of liquor. If something could be done in the way of payment of some of the money to the dependents of such men, I think it would be a good thing. * This business of paying men excessive wages to be squandered in drink and gambling I think is disgraceful. Now that we have this

board set up they will have power to deal with it and I think it would he a good thing if this report were sent to them.”

The Crown proseciftor said he would do so.

Tlre police inspector had told him that there had been a large increase off offences in the town, very largely due to men coming in and squandering their cheques. The inspector of police hid. however, only reported on the conduct of the camps. His Honour: I think this report should be brought to the notice of the board in the -hope that they will do something to prevent the money being squandered in this way. In passing sentence His Honour said it was difficult to know how to deal with the men, although he thought it necessary to make an example in order to discourage . such actions. One could have treated it as a drunken riot and dealt with it quite leniently, but lie must take into consideration the fact that this business of taking liquors into camps and getting drunk had to be stopped. Somehow Ire did not look upon the case as bad.