AUCKLAND UNEMPLOYED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19608, 9 April 1927, Page 15

AUCKLAND UNEMPLOYED.

SQUABBLE AT CIVIC SQUARE TWO RIVAL FACTIONS MEET. FORMING ORGANISATIONS. A DEPUTATION TO THE MAYOR. An attempt by two factions to organise the unemployed in Auckland led to an excited verbal battle on the civic square yesterday morning. The dispute ended in the division of the gathering into two unequal forces, both of which appointed their own executive committee to further their interests. The meeting, which had been called for 10 o'clock, was attended by about 400 men and a sprinkling of women. The first, speaker to mount the soap box introduced himself as chairman of a provisional committee which had been formed for the purpose of organising an Unemployed Workers' Association in Auckland, whose object it would be to obtain work for the 2500 to 5000 men, it was variously stated, who were out of work in the city. The speaker said that permission had been obtained from the Town Hall for the gathering to congregate on the civic square, but no speeches would be allowed. The self-appointed committee had therefore obtained permission to use St. Matthew's Hall, and invited all present to repair to the hall and air their views. A large section of the crowd voiced its hostility to the suggestion, and the first speaker was obliged to stand down while the opposition view was propounded with considerable force from the improvised rostrum. "Don't let them side-step you," warned one speaker; "they want to take you where the public won't see you. Stay here in the open. It's your property." After repeated efforts to sway the crowd in his favour, the self-appointed chairman, ignoring demands to "explain his policy there and then," issued an ultimatum. "I will appeal to you for the last time," he said. "If you turn my suggestion down I will chuck the whole thing over and let you manage on your own. I have no ulterior motive. All I ask is that you save yourselves trouble, by coming up to the hall." The crowd decided to stay where it was. ' * Eev. Jasper Calder's Appeal. About ten minutes later, while the open-air meeting was in full swing, the Eev. Jasper Calder mounted the box and made a final appeal. He urged the gathering not to get itself into bad repute with the authorities, but to come to the hall, where the committee was waiting, and hear what it had to say. "There is nothing to be gained by talking hero and getting nowhere," he said. "Come up to the hall and you will get all the fun and excitement you want." This was the signal for another outbreak. "Did you hear him?" shouted a man in the crowd. "He said fun and excitement."

A woman who had taken the place of the last speaker denounced Mr. Calder's proposal to establish a soup kitchen in 'Auckland. "It is a disgrace, to this country to talk like this about soup kitchens," she declared. "Why should you be cringers and crawlers and ask to be fed ? Why, rather than creep and crawl and ask for soup I would throw myself over the .wharf. Be men. Stand up for your rights and demand work." Deputation to the Mayor,

While Mr. Calder retired with about 60 men to St. Matthew's Hall, the crowd which remained, numbering about 150, appointed a deputation to wait upon, the Mayor and ask for the use of the Town Hall. Mr. Baildon received the deputation, consisting of four men and four women, in his room. One of the women, who was appointed spokeswoman, said they asked for the hall because St. Matthew's would not accommodate them all. The unemployed, she said, were not asking for charity, but only for work. In her opinion the unemployment position was being used to break down unionism, just as it was being used for that purpose in England. That was why reliet work was being offered at wages below the union standard. It was stated by one member of the deputation that the unemployed organisation was not Communistic. That element was no longer dominant among the unemployed. The Mayor said the City Council must be dissociated from any attempt to reduce the level of wages. All the relief work found by the council had been paid for at award rates. He could see it was useless for the unemployed to congregate on the Civic Square, and if they were as numerous as it had been made out they were at liberty to have the concert chamber for their first meeting. It must be understood, however, that after an executive had been appointed the free use of the hall would not be available for any future meetings. Appointment of Committee.

The deputation thanked the Mayor and withdrew. A few minutes later, the meeting adjourned from the Civic Square to the concert chamber, where the proceedings involved the election of an executive of seven and the passing of a number of resolutions. It was resolved that the association should demand work *at union rates of pay and not ask for charity. It was decided to appeal in this strain to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Labour and members of Parliament and seek the support of the industrial unions.

A further resolution was carried in favour of holding a procession of unemployed up Queen Street every morning at 10 o'clock. A motion, thanking the Mayor for the use of the hall, r;is carried •with one dissentient. The meeting ;\t St. Matthew's Hall was Addressed by Mr. Calder, Mr. H. Oakley Browne, the Canon Grant Cowen and Mr H. Schmidt, together with members of the provisional committee which mef with defeat at the Civic Square. Are solution was carried urging upon the Gov ernmerit the necessity of finding immediate work for the unemployed, who were numbered at 5000 in Auckland alone, and expressing the opinion that, in view of the coming winter, the position was the gravest in the history of the country. It was agreed that an attempt should be made to co-operate with the commit tee elected at (he concert chamber.