NO RIOTING

Northern Advocate, 18 April 1932, Page 4

NO RIOTING

IN WHANGARET,

UNEMPLOYED’S VIEWS,

‘ ‘ WILL' DO NO GOOD. ’ ’

A number of rumours were circulating i.n Whangarci on Saturday that the unemployed intended to demonstrate in the town in the evening, but at a general meeting of the Unemployed Association in the afternoon, the rumours were emphatically denied. The chairman, Mr .1. H. Brown, who declared himself strongly in favour of the adoption of constitutional measures, said: “The business people have got the wind up, and they arc talking silly nonsense in spreading the rumour.' As far as I am concerned, I am dead against any window smashing in Whangarei.” (Cries of hear, hear).

“I do not know what is going on in Auckland,’’ continued .Mr Brown, “but it is the hoodlums, and not th • unemployed, who are at the bottom of the looting and window smashing.”

Air Brown said ho had told tlm Sergeant of Police, however, that if any “special” police were enrolled in the town there would be trouble. He had been assured, however, that .none had boon sworn in. He also criticised the shop-people for spreading • the rumour about trouble that night, as it had been encouraging the rougher element in the town to start trouble like Auckland was experiencing. He did not think such action would get the unemployed any further ahead. Ho moved that the association give every assistance to the authorities in the event of any demonstration like that in Auckland breaking out in Whangarei.

A voice: "The business people are against .the unemployed. ’ ’ "They might be," said the chairman, "but there will be many more against us if we start rioting. We might even smash the windows of the people who have done a great deal of good for us. We / have not g-- 1 their votes, but we will not get them by breaking their windows.” Another member said he, had canvassed the town with a petition urging the Government not to inflict fur ther cuts on the Post and Telegraph employees, and only three people would not sign. The business people, 'he said, were quite in sympathy with the cause of the unemployed, and it would not do the latter any good to inflict injury on the shop-keepers who were not to blame for the position. Several other speakers also deprecated violence, and urged that the members of the association should set their faces agaifist it. , ‘ Mr Brown’s motion was carried unanimously, as was another calling on members to pledge themselves not to join any special constabulary which might be formed.