PUBLIC SAFETY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21162, 20 April 1932, Page 10

PUBLIC SAFETY.

SEQUEL TO RIOTING. WIDE POWERS IN BILL. VIEWPOINT OF LABOUR. 'CAUSES OF DISTURBANCE. POLICY FOR THE FUTURE. [by telegraph. —press association.] . WELLINGTON, Tuesday. A general discussion regarding the recent Auckland rioting took place when the Public Safety Conservation Bill was introduced in the House of Representatives to-day bv Governor-General's Message. It was accorded urgency by 41 votes to 20. Explaining the measure, the Prime Minister, 'the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, said the bill was generally on the lines of the Imperial Emergency Towers Act, 1920. "Its purpose," said Mr. Forbes, "is to enable the Governor-Geneial to make regulations to preserve law and order'in cases of emergency. The emergencies contemplated are civil strife on an extensive scale and also emergencies due to natural disaster such as earthquako, fire or flood." Mr. Forbes then gave an outline of the powers conferred by the bill. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. H. E. Holland: Haven't you all those powers at present ? Mr. Forbes: I am informed not. Tribute to the Police. The bill was read a first time. Moving the second reading, Mr. Forbes said he desired to pay a tribute to the manner in which the police had handled the Auckland situation. They were entitled to praise for the cool manner in which they had behaved and for the judgment they had shown. Ihe position in Auckland was now well in hand and it was possible for the Government to proceed to passing emergency legislation 50 as to strengthen the hands of the police in a time of necessity. There was need for the provision of a rallying point in a time of emergency, whether it was caused by civil commotion, fire, flood or earthquake. No : exception could be taken to the steps proposed, as it would be the desire of evervone that there should be adequate power for the maintenance of law and order. The provisions of the bill would apply only while there was a. state of emergency created by Order-in-Council. As soon as the order was lifted, the emergency powers would lapse. Mr. W. E. Parry (Labour—Auckland Central) said the Government's legislation a. as making a deep wound in the hearts of the people and that wound would not be healed with the baton. The people of Auckland were not uncivilised. They were quite prepared to live decent, civilised lives, but they were entitled to work or to sufficient sustenance to .keep the wolf from the door. "I want the Government to understand that when we talk about sustenance, we ■want sustenance in money, and not food from a food depot," he said. Kemoving Bitter Spirit.

Mr. Parry asserted it was a dangerous thing for the Government to pursue ft policy that meant empty cupboards, emptv wardrobes and dismal hopes. It should set out to remove the bitter spirit that prevailed among the people. He did not wish his remarks to be interpreted as provocative. He desired the Government to understand exactly what was the mind and feeling of the people who had been embroiled in the disturbance. It was tho pent-up feeling created by the prevailing conditions. lie did not wish to discuss what had been responsible for the match being lit. The important thing was what should be done in future. He appealed to the Government to do something to heal the ills that had caused the trouble. Mr. J. A. Lee (Labour— Grey Lynn) said a significant feature of Ihursday s outbreak at Auckland had been the absence of premeditation, which went to show the extraordinary explosiveness of the public mind at present. He had taken part in Thursday's procession and he had never seen a more orderly procession. Twenty thousand people had endeavoured to get into a hall that could accommodate only 4000 and in two or three moments there had been disorder. It was then he had realised just what an explosive sentiment was abroad. He warned the Government that the situation that had arisen could not bo handled by the baton, but only by an intelligent policy. Feeling Against Government.

Mr! Lee referred to Friday's gathering in Karangahape Road and declared that a sullen, bitter feeling against the Government had been fully in evidence. People whose windows had been broken had remarked to him, "The responsibility is the Government's." Mr. Lee attributed the first night's disturbance to misadventure, but- characterised the subsequent demonstrations as a definito gesture to the Government. He paid a tribute to the police, who, lie said, with one or two exceptions, had handled difficult situations tactfully, llie man in blu° had not earned the enmity of the civil population. Mr. A. S. Richards (Labour— Roskill) gaid there would be resentment at any suggestion that the great body of the unemployed had been in sympathy with thei violent nature of the demonstration, bub they could offer no apology for what had happened, because they realised it had been caused by the suppression of tho aspirations of young people who had no employment. Mr. H. G. 11. Mason (Labour —Auckland Suburbs) said it was tho fear hanging over the peoplo that they would be deprived or the essentials of life that had been responsible for (lie Auckland outbreak. It was the duly of the Government to dispel that fear and so prevent any recurrence of the trouble. Mr. Mason remarked that the bill would make the police absolute dictators. Desire for Law and Order. Mr. V. J. Jordan (Labour— Mariukau) said the Labour Party desired to see Jaw and order preserved. There was general dissatisfaction in tho country .with the Government and peoplo would rot be batoned into submission. People would not agree to starve, lie challenged the of the Government to remain in oflice and put into operation a policy of which the majority of people obviously disapproved. Mr. W. J. Poison (Independent— Stratford) said the unemployed wero plainly not responsible for the. outbreak in Auckland. He defended the actions of the special constables and said they were entitled to the thanks of the Government and the people. Mr. F. W. Schramm (Labour —.Auckland East) said the bill waived a number of old-established legal rights and in the hands of a despotic Government it might be unjustly administered. Continuing the debate in the evening, Mr. A. J. Stallworthy (Government — Eden) denied the allegations that the Government's policy was responsible for the ■ disturbances. It was impossible to pondon© or excuse Tvhafc had occurred at

Auckland. He added that while Labour members deplored the disturbances, there was also an impression they were excusing thorn. The Leader of the Opposition said the proposals in the bill were provocative where th;y were not panicky. So far as ho couid ascertain, all tho necessary power was contained in the C'rime§ Act and the Police Offences Act, and it seemed that the only additional power conferred by tho bill was that which enabled the Government to suppress meetings of its political opponents. Ho characterised as stupid the action of (he person responsible for prohibiting the meeting i.i the Auckland Domain on Sunday. It was ridiculous, he said, that people should bo prevented from gathering in an open space. lie advised the Government that tho safest plan would bo to allow freedom of speech and not to drivo people underground with their grievance?. Tho Labour Party would not tolerate the suppression of the meetings it was holding to demand tho resignation of tho present Government. He asked who was to determine what meetings would bo lawful under the measure before tlie Housj. The part played by some Labour members in organising demonstrations was criticised by the Right Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister in charge of Unemployment, who said Labour members could not escape responsibility for results accruing from movements they initiated. There was a calmer atmosphere in the Chamber after supper. Labour speakers continued to bo tho main contributors to tho debate. It is understood that one arrangement made at the Coalition caucus this morning was that tho number of Government speakers should be limited as it was the Cabinet's desire to secure the passage of the bill at tho earliest opportunity. While some comment was anticipated fro n the Opposition, it did not seem to be anticipated that the debate would be so lengthy as it proved. Midnight found the debate still in progress with the possibility of considerable discussion in the Committee stages. Mr. Holland criticised the provision in the bill that ordinary rules of evidence were not to apply to the hearing of cases under this legislation, asserting that rights which were granted to desperate criminals were to be denied in the case of an alleged political offence. It would appear that the mere laying of a charge would be sufficient to secure a conviction. Mr. Holland declared that window-smash-ing and looting were wholly unjustifiable and only provided the would-be dictators of the present day with an excuse for resorting to far more drastic measures than would otherwise be the case. Labour members carried on the debate and the Prime Minister replied at a late hour. . , The second reading of the bill was carried by 46 votes to 20. Tho House went into Committee on the bill at 1.15 a.m.

INTERLUDES IN DEBATE. LABOUR'S MANY OBJECTIONS. RELIEF POLICY CRITICISED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER. ] WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Lively scenes were witnessed in the House of Representatives to-day when the Public Safety Conservation Bill was introduced by the Government and its passage "hrough all stages at one period was sought as a matter of urgency. Because of its relation to the riots which occurred in Auckland last week, the appearance of the bill was utilised by members of the Labour Party to assail the Government's unemployment policy and some particularly warm interludes occurred in the evening when the Minister in charge of Unemployment, the Rt. Hon. J G. Coates. took some Labour members to task r or the part they had played in organising demonstrations. Justifying the legislation when moving the second reading, the Prime Minister, the Rt, Hon. G. W. Forbes, said it was very necessary, when emergency arose, that there should be adequate power to maintain law and order. He did not think any exception could be taken to the proposals, which were largely modelled on the Imperial Emergency Powers Act of 1920. Incidentally, it may be stated that the British Act was passed to deal with the position iirising out of the great coal strike of that year. " I think it will be the desire of "every member that the forces of law and order should be given every support and authority in such times," said Mr. Foroes. The first Labour speaker was Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) who dealt almost exclusively with conditions prevalent in Auckland. He declared any legislation designed to prevent the assembly of peoplo peacefully to pass resolutions and forward their grievances to those in authority was a dangerous move, as it blocked the safety valve of democracy. He made; a demand for the provision of work at decent standard rates, or if that could no:, be provided, for sustenance in cash. T/iat latter sentiment also bulked prominently in subsequent Labour speeches. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. H. E. Holland, who did not speak until the evening, said if it were not for the serious consequences it might bring in its ta'ain, the bill would bo utterly ridiculous. "It Seems to me," he said, "that the Government seises the opposition which will result frcm its own legislation with regard to wago and pension reductions and that it is setting out to bludgeon not only the unemployed, but the employed as well."

The second reading was carried and the House wis still sitting at a late hour.

BAJ> TEMPER SHOWN. FEELING IN THE HOUSE. DENIAL OF MISREPRESENTATION. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON, Tuesday. An uglv temper developed on tho Labour benches in tho House at u lafo hour when the Prime Minister, tho Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, was replying to tho second leading debate on the Public Safety Conservation Bill. At nn u stage interjections became so persistent that the Speaker threatened to name Mr. Sernple, to which Mr. Eraser retorted, "You'll have to name the lot, then." Mr. F orbes classed as extravagant and inflammatory many of tho statements marie bv tiie Labour speeches. " They oppose uii at every turn in tho House, he said, "and misrepresent us in the country. We havo been told that the Government should pay for tho windows which were smashed in the riot at Auckland tho other night. I say it would be just as reasonable"for the business people who suffered to send in their bill to tho Labour Party. Mr. Sernple: That is a cowardly statement.. The Speaker ordered the withdrawal of the remark. "I withdraw," said Mr. Seniple, "but J do not alter my opinion all tho same." "We are expected to take Labour's criticism with a smile," said tho Prime Minister, speaking with unusual vigour. "But immediately we say anything in reply, there is great agitation on the Labour benches. Those who give blows should br willing to accept them." Mr. Forbes referred to a recent statement made by Mr. Holland at WestporL .and to a speech by another Labour member, in which it was stated thai the objective was to create such a spread ol rebellion that' the Government would be forced off the Treasury benches. " As long as. Labour members take up that attitude," said Mr. Forbes, "we will hava these outbreaks. At a time like this, the Labour members should state fail Iv what is being done. Wo are raising taxation, wo are meeting cases of need, we are doing more than any oilier country in the world in regard to the relief of unemployment."