UPROARIOUS SCENES

Otago Witness, Issue 3396, 16 April 1919, Page 27

UPROARIOUS SCENES

MEETING OF SOLDIERS.

TWO MEN ASSAULTED

Melbourne, March 10.

Uproarious scenes occurred at a • public meeting arranged by the Returned Soldiers and War Workers' Industrial Union-, held in the Melbourne Town Hall to-night. The advertised object of the gathering was to protest against Bolshevism, "eligibles," and the One Big Union, but it was early made apparent that the promoters of the meeting were to be confronted . with an organised opposition. , ' The proceedings became lively from the yery outset. There was a large audience, including a number of returned soldiers the badge of the Returned Sailors and Soldiers' Imperial League, and many women.

Mr W. E. Quirk, the chairman, said that certain promises had been made to the men who had gone to the war, and these had not been fulfilled. The returned' soldier was out for a fair deal, and how was he to get it? There were some organisations which said_to the soldier: "Come and join us; wo will look after you." One such organisation was in Lygon street.—(Cheers and hoots.) How had that organisation looked after the soldier when he was Over at the front appealing for reinforcements? They had_ said: "We will keep the home fires burning while you do the fighting for us."—(Cheers "and some hoots.) Now, when the returned soldier sought to warm himself at some of those home fires he found that they had gone out. —(Cries of "Shame!") Therefore, he had been compelled to form his own organisation. At this stage Mr Considjne, M.H.R. for the Barrier, -arrived, and was greeted with, mingled cheers and hoots. Subsequently the meeting degenerated into a pandemonium. ':'■ "'

Mr Pimental, secretary of the union which convened the meeting, after speaking, was assaulted on the platform- by a returned soldier, and at the termination of the proceedings a prominent Labour man was hauled off the platform by a- man wearing the badge of the returned soldier. Mr Pimental, in his speech, said that they were organising to safeguard the industrial equilibrium of Australia. The extremists were mostly aliens, a statement that was received "with ironical cheers.

Turning to Mr Considine, who had taken, a seat on the .platform, the speaker asked: "Where have you been during the war?" Mr Considine: "I have been with the profiteers, holding up the- home Front."— (Cheers and hoots.) v The promoters of the meeting, Mr Pimental added,' had no intention of create ing a.; strike-breaking machine, but against the Trades Hall machine arid the. One Bit? Union, they would striked and. strike hard. It ■ was at • this stage that Mr Pimental. was attacked, but he did not appear to be greatly hurt. The later incident, when a well-known Labour partisan was pushed from the platform, caused ai free fighf on the platform between half a' dozen persons, which the .police had to. terminate. ' ';• No resolutions were put, and the proceedings terminated in uproar.