UNEMPLOYMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3772, 29 June 1926, Page 15

UNEMPLOYMENT.

RELIEF COMMITTEES. DEMAND FOR EXPULSION. CHRISTCHURCH, June 24. “I will ask the Trades Hall people to get to work and kick these people out. Otherwise, I will get out. If you don’t kick these people out you can get another secretary,” declared Mr R. B. Owen, secretary of the Citizens’ Unemployment Committee, to-day, in an emphatic objection to what he described as the sinister Communistic movement in connection with unemployment. The committee met to discuss the position generally, and, after other business had been disposed of Air Owen voiced his objection and asked if it were true that Mr S. Fournier, leader of the Communist Party in Christchurch, was in the pay of the union secretaries. After discussion, the subject was deferred for a week. Mr Owen said there was a sinister little move on foot to checkmate the Citizens’ Committee and undermine it. At the present time there was too much of a Communistic element. He understood that this uorning there was an attempt to organise a pa. ade, which would not have helped things. The Trades Hall people should consider what was done in Auckland, where the Communists were kicked out of the Trades Hall. The officials should declare what their positiou The Mayor of Christchurch (the Rev. J. K. Archer) said that the position was simple. There was a proper committee of the Trades Hall secretaries, who a ted for the Trades Hall. Hie gentlemen who were acting as an unofficial committee had no connection with the Trades Hall other than that they had a room at the hall. As he understood the position, they were acting in a purely private and individual way.. They could not be prevented from meeting and expressing opinions on a public issue. If they liked to have a parade—which he considered a very undesirable thing- the Citizens’ Committee had no say in it. The position had been explained at the last meeting of the Citizens Committee, hut he invited Mr Ellis to explain it again. Mr F. C. Ellis, a trade union secretary, said there were responsible officials at the Trades Hall *,h« were formed into a trades Hall Committee. No notice need be taken of anything done outside of that. If the Citizens’ Committee took notice of every 1. paragraph in the papers, or any little croup of men, it would get nowhere. If it wanted to know of any pohey -t could go to the Trades X” Committee. To-day there were about 100 men meeting at the hall.. The S 3E e 8 H Way aT l d the best way out of the d M I n V WaS T to ? et ' ork for the men. that U - lt c . orr . ect , or correct that Mr Fournier is m the pay of the trades union secretaries? We do not want any . mHeunclCTstandinp about that point. ‘ ® t 0 hf'P "'hen there is distress. Now we have the Communist group trading on this committee, and I will ask the Trades Hall people to get to work and kick these people out. Otherwise I will get out. What can they achieve? Do they want no work between meals? has been treated in a more brotherly spirit than the unemployed in Christchurch. If you do not kick these people out yon can get another secretary. Mr Ellis said the Citizens’ Committee started over a week ago to do something for the men, but in the meantime something had to be done for the necessitous cases. Someone was wanted to distribute food and necessaries. Mr Fournier was there, and he was put in charge. He had to live, and it was not desired to pay him out of any funds. Each trade union secretary paid 2s G<l out of his own pocket last week to Mr Fournier. He was not on regular pay. Mr orrall, a trades union secretary, said there was no Communist committee. Some time ago Ihere started in the newspapers a heresy hunt of one or two individuals. Mr Fournier was selling newspapers, and he said he would take on the job of distributing food if the money he lost were made up to him* Mr Owen said that they should let Mr Fournier go back to his work. Either he went out or the speaker resigned. The Mayor pointed out that the Communists had withdrawn from the Labour Party. The man referred to had no influence in the Labour Party, or in the city. The Citizens’ Committee should ignore the question. Mr E. H. Marriner suggested that the easiest way out was for the Trades Hall people to employ someone else. There were many other men who could be employed if the committee were being antagonised to a certain extent. The man should go back to Rolling newspapers, and someone else should lie employed. Mr Ellis suggested that the discussion be adjourned for a week. After Mr Owen had agreed to let the discussiou stand over, it was 'adjourned for a week. There are three unemployment organisations in Christchurch at present—the Citizens’ Unemployment Committee, a representative body which controls the expenditure of the money subscribed by the public; the Trades Hall Unemployment Committee, which consists of trade union secretaries and a committee of the unemployed, of which Mr S. Fournier, the Communist lender, is secretary and organiser. All three bodies held meetings to-day, but the only one open to newspaper representatives was that of the Citizens’ Unemployment Committee. The meetings of the unemployed are not open to the press, ns the result of a decision of the majority of the committee, but notice of motion lias been given that the resolution be rescinded. The Trndes Ilall Unemployment Committee has appointed a sub-committee to supply reports to the newspapers.