WILD ATTACK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20786, 3 August 1929, Page 25

WILD ATTACK.

PERTH POLICE SUFFER. BITTER. UNEMPLOYED. (From Our Own Correspoxiiext.) SYDNEY, July 25. In spite of its apparent prosperity in many directions Western Australia has its unemployed in common with all the other States, and the position that has been developing there for some months now is a serious one. Western Australia is not a wealthy State, but it has done more than the other States to conserve its resources and live somewhere within its revenue. It has placed more people on the laud during the last IS mouths that any of the other States. In fact, it has come in for so much praise that scores of men in the Eastern States who found difficulty in securing work migrated to the West, and it' was not long, therefore, before Western Australia had an unemployment problem that it did not deserve. It’ is also true that a section of the people who have been attracted to the West are of a class that would be a nuisance everywhere. When they saw that there was unemployment they began to organise the unemployed, then to inflame them, and the smouldering discontent flared up the other day when there was an attack by the worklcss mob on the police. There was a bit of a skirmish at first, but a wild melee outside the Central Police Station later resulted in the arrest < f .14 men. Although the police had necessarily to defend them selves, they exercised admirable restraint, ■ and succeeded in coping with the situation without having to use their batons. Several leaders of the unemployed men endeavoured to restrain them, but it was probable that their own propaganda had sunk in too deep. i The trouble began shortly before 10 o’clock in the morning. The unemployed had arranged a demonstration and a procession, and they had been given permission to march along a certain route. When they came to an intersection, and evidently the result of a prearranged plan, someone shouted; “ Straight ahead.” Straight ahead would have brought the men into a prohibited area, and the way was blocked by 12 policemen. Shouting imprecations at the police, the ringleaders endeavoured to hustle them out of the way. A scuffle ensued, during which Inspector Johnston was struck on the nose, and three of the men, including the secretary of the unemployed, were arrested. A small body of police then succeeded in forcing the uhemployed along the original route. Then the men conferred, and decided to return to the police station in an endeavour to rescue their comrades, who, they considered, had been wrongfully arrested. At the police; station a parley ensued, during which they demanded that the arrested men should be released. This demand, of course, was refused,' and an ugly scene followed. The men attempted to force their way into the station, but 20 constables quickly formed a cordon and held them in check. Blows fell fast on the police, and Inspector Douglas was struck several times on the body. , Meanwhile mounted police had been summoned, and six troopers succeeded in dispersing thp mob by spurring their horses into their midst. Several men were arrested despite strenuous attempts to prevent this happening. At this stage the demonstrators moved to a vacant allotment nearby, where another scuffle with the police took place, and sis more men were arrested. Several of them struggled desperately while they were being taken to th lock-up. The men then discovered that five of their committee of six were in custody, and it was decided to disperse .and rerssemhle at the Trades Hall for the purpose of electing a new committee. After the election the new committee resolved that , there should be no more demonstrations i until after the arrested men had appeared before the court. Later in the day the secretary of the unemployed said that the committee deplored the happenings. They'were due, he said, to the action of a few hot heads. A definite promise had been made to the police that the men would keep to the route laid down, but the appearance of a large squad of police at the intersection seemed to arouse resentment among some. They were all sorry now.