Not a Food Riot

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6835, 16 April 1932, Page 7

Not a Food Riot

Auckland Affair More Sinister Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Last Night. Aucklanders, on coining to Queen Street this morning, beheld a scene unparalleled in the history of the city. Thousands of people Avho were comfortable in their homes last, night knew nothing of the riot in Queen Street, and on hearing or reading of it this morning they Avere simply staggered. There had been rumours of "trouble,” but nothing definite; and Avhen the big unemployed procession on Wednesday proved orderly and almost, entirely good-humoured, ordinary citizens probably felt satisfied that, if anything untoward occurred, it Avould inot be serious and could be easily controlled. This morning they ha\ r e the evidence of their eyes that the criminal and larrikin elements of the population held sway in Queen Street last night. I,u. Queen Street alone 210 broken shop-Avindows Avere counted, and those in side streets will probably bring the total to 250. At the time of writing there is no possibility of assessing the value of the looted property. Somo shopkeepers never heard till too late of what Avas happening to their premises, and it is likely to take most of them many hours to ascertain what they lost.' The eAridence of looted shops seems to shoAV clearly that this was no food riot. As far as could be noticod, not a provision shop Avas looted. The looters instead rifled jewellers’, tobacconists’, clothiers’ and confectioners’ premises.

Many other shops had Avindows broken, but little Avas stolen —though this Avas in some cases due to the hole in the glass not being big emougn. Another thing certain is that the police forces Avere rvoefully inadequate to deal Avith such a situation. While nearly all the available police Avere struggling to control the mass of unemployed outside the Toayii Hall, criminals and larrikins on the fringe broke away and swept dorvn Queen Street, and there was nothing to stop them. Many of the larrikins Avere youths and girls. The dogree to Avhich the riot was premeditated is uncertain. Many rioters carried stoin.es, Avhich they had obtained close to the Town Hall. Others were seen kicking in Avindows. This morning extensive preparations were launched to ensure that any further rioting would be instantly controlled.

DOMINION-WIDE VETO ON PUBLIC MEETINGS WELLINGTON, Last Night. Inquiries were made of the Public Service Commissioner and tho Commissioner of Police as to tho position with respect to public meetings. Although nothing definite was disclosed, it is understood that the Auckland announcement that any public demonstration or meeting wifi not bo permitted until further notice wjll apply to Wellington and also to all other centres of population. SHOCK TO ENGLAND. United Press Association. —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Received Friday, 0.50 p.m. LONDON, April .15. News of the Auckland rioting, displayed in big headlines in each of the morning newspapers, came as a great surprise and even as a shock to the British public Avho were unprepared by earlier cables and did not suspect the imminence of trouble.