THE UNEMPLOYED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2849, 21 October 1908, Page 26

THE UNEMPLOYED.

> A SCENE IN PARLIAMENT, i MR GRAYSON'S SUSPENSION. | LONDON, October 13. One thousand unemployed who as1 sembled xon the Thames Embankment fiercely denounced Mr John Bums as a traitor. •. Some of the leaders urged the men to 1 arm, and others advised a united attempt 1 to overcrowd the workhouses. , i October 14. , There were turbulent scenes at a meeting of the London County Council, when Mr Smith (secretary of the Right to Work Committee) insisted on moving an urgency motion regarding the provision of work for the unemployed, although the chairman had ruled it out of order. A crowd in the gallery created great disorder, shouting : "We are hungry ; give us work." They were eventually expelled, shouting, as they retired, "Robbers" and "Hypocrites." Several policemen and attendants tried in vain to remove Cr Smith. Owing to his obstructions and those of the Labour members, the council was compelled to - adjourn without transacting any business. 'October 15. In the House of Commons, immediately after questions' were disposed of, Mr Victor Grayson, who was -greatly excited, moved "the adjournment of the House in order to discuss the question of unemployment. The Speaker declared that the- Licensing. Bill was the first business of the day. Mr Grayson lefused to permit the discussion on the Licensing Bill to proceed while people in the streets were starving, and refused to obey the^Speaker's ruling either to sit down or to stop speaking. Ultimately the Sergeant-at-Arms removed him, and Mr Grayson was suspended for the re-st of the sitting. Mr John Burns (President of the Local Government Board), speaking at Tynemouth, said that there would be no legislation during the present extra session relative either to the right-to-work or to the unemployment problem. But in the distressed areas much more money would be spent in non-pauper relief than during the wliole period of tho Lancashire cotton famine in the sixties. Speaking at Newcastle, Mr Bunas said that he refused to be a party to panic legislation regarding unemployment. The war against poverty was not a skirmish, but a long and dogged campaign that might, perhaps, last a century. The poh'ce propose to oummon Mr Will Thome, M.P., on a charge of, inciting the unemployed to rush the bakers' chops. The proposed charge has reference to his "Speech at the unemployed demonstration aj, Trafalgar square on the 10th met. „ . . October 16. | During the discussion on the Licensing " Bill to-day, Mr Victor Grayson created a scene through insisting on speaking on the unemployed question, and refusing to obey Mr Speaker's ruling. He was " named " and fcuspended, and left the Chamber amid a seece of great disorder. At a meeting of the Labour party tli9 chairman (Mr Henderson, M.P.), entirely djesociated the party from Mr Grayson's : conduct in the House of Commons. He , eaid that the member for Coin© was aware ', of the Labour party's efforts to secure from < the Government definite and immediate ' proposals dealing with the exceptional dd<s- i tress arising from widespread unemploy- i ment. " ] October 17. : When Mr Emmotfc, chairman, named him, Mr Grayson retorted, " You may name me, but you cannot shame me." After the Speaker had been summoned and ' the suspension voted, Mr Grayson was ordered to leave, 'but he continued Tin's attempts to speak. He shouted, " I shall leave the House with pleasure. I feel that in leaving I gain in dignity." He turned to quit, but retracing his steps, sand, "This House is a House of murderers." He then left his seat, and disappeared. The suspension holds good for the entire session unless rescinded. October 18. The big firms at the West End are insuring themselves ngainst the risk of. I

damage through possible unemployed riots. ** ' October 19. Mr John Burns spent the week-end at Saudringham with the King, who wished to obtain full information on the unemployed question. MELBOURNE, October 15. A deputation of the unemployed asked Mr Fisher, the Federal Labour Leader, to ascertain if the Commonwealth Government would contribute the passage money of a number of unemployed to New Zealand. They stated that the K-jew Zealand representative in Melbourne had promised to inquire if work could be found for them in New Zealand. Mr Fisher, in promising to ascertain the views of the Go\ eminent, said that such a request was a serious commentary off the position of affairs in the Commonwealth. WELLINGTON, October 15. In reference to the cablegram from Melbourne regarding the unemployed, the Labour Department's opinion is that unless a selection of men could be made on the spot it would be inadvisable for men to como here from oversea. The avenue of employment in which there is a brick demand is that of agricultural labour, but it is of. no use to send men to this work who are not accustomed to it or - fitted for it. Invercargill and Dunedin are especially' needful of good farm labourers, Canterbury has a good capa- * city for them, and so have the Taranaki and Wanganui districts. There is not much .demand for them at present in the Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa districts. In the Auckland district the demand exceeds the supply. The Government offers employment on co-operative railway and road works, preference being given, of course, to married men possessing a knowledge of the work. Throughout the Dominion, with the exception of a ■ very few small centres, the supply of labourers exceeds the demands, but t!here is always employment for the man who^can adapt himself to general farm work. New Zealand, it was explained, had gained a good many men from Australia of late, and most of them were doing well. A number had come here lately in readiness for the New Zealand shearing. They followed that up, then did some work at slaughtering, and eventually returned to Australia to follow shearing there until the New Zealand season came on once more, but the policy of indiscriminate- immigration was not good. What was wanted;- i£ the unemployed class was to be dealt with, was a system of selection. "Writing on September 4, our London correspondent stated: — " Tiiere is an. impression that, the coming 1 winter will bo one of the most severe for' some years as regards the position of the working men. Some of the Municipalities . in the manufacturing centres of tho north, are taking time by the forelock to deal , with the distress. Manchester has applied for power to borrow £45,000, to ba expended on public relief works. Liverpool has already 60,000 men, women, and children destitute for lack of employment, and the Lord Major has convened a conference of local bodies to deal with the question. Tjio cotton trade is unusually slack, and in' one district 45,000 looms are being 6topped> fcr a week. This means that 15,000 peoplewill bo idle. North again, in Glasgow, there- are 160,000 people crying for bread. The other day a manifesto was issued inthe Clyde city stating that « Government that could find £1,000,000 for a Dreadnought must find bread for the people. A da\- or two later a mob of 400 people raided the Council Chambers while tho Town Council was in session, and, kicking' on the oaken doors, demanded that the councillors should "appear. With, police persuasion it was arranged that a deputation should state the case of the men. The principal speaker said h-a believed tihe council was in a position to give' gcod' and useful work. Then another man stepped forward and said the unemployed recognised that they would have to make the councillors fesl for their personal safety. The Lord Provost warned him that such a tihreat would not appeal to any right-thinking citizen. Nothing that could be done to improve the lot of tho unemployed would bo neglected. It happens tbat the. Clyde shipbuilders are just now booking an exceptional number of orders, out things in Lancashire axe looking verj black."