UGLY SCENES

Otago Witness, Issue 4074, 12 April 1932, Page 23

UGLY SCENES

DEMONSTRATION OF UNEMPLOYED

MAYORESS’ CAR ATTACKED

WINDOWS OF RELIEF DEPOT STONED.

Ugly scenes were witnessed in the Dunedin streets on Friday when a large body of unemployed, after an interview with the local. Unemployment Committee in the morning, marched in the afternoon to the Hospital Board’s offices in Hanover street, demanding that the Mayor’s relief depot be closed down and that the Hospital Board issue money orders, as it had done in the past. The conference with the board lasted for about an hour and a-half. and while it was in progress the crowd waiting outside sang “The Red Flag ” and other militant songs, while occasionally there were outbursts of cheering and shouting.

Dissatisfied with the result of the conference, the gathering, over 300 strong, formed itself into a procession, and, headed by four women pushing perambu-' lators, marched down George street and into St. Andrew street down to the depot, where a strong detachment of police under Superintendent Eccles was bn guard. They waited there from 4 o’clock, but the Mayoress (Mrs R. S. Black) refused to distribute foodstuffs unless the applicants for relief gave their names and addresses and were prepared to have their cases investigated singly. This they refused to do, and there was a hostile demonstration, in which the most prominent part was

taken by a number of women. One elderly woman accepted the Mayoress’s terms and was going to give the required particulars, but was so badly jostled by other women that she fainted. Mrs Black took her away in a taxi, and at the corner of St. Andrew and George streets her car was held up by another large crowd of unemployed who attempted to upset it. The door was opened and an effort was made to pull Mrs Black out, and the car was tilted over on two wheels. Just then a tram arrived on the scene and the crowd was divided, giving the driver of the taxi an opportunity to accelerate and escape. A little after 5 o’clock the crowd in front of the relief repot dispersed and the police who were on guard concluded that the demonstration was over and departed, leaving only a few officers behind. Suddenly a large section of the crowd returned and smashed the front windows of the depot with stones. They remained there and finally the Bev. Percy I’aris telephoned Mrs Black, who said that she would return at 8 o'clock and distribute supplies to some of the most necessitous cases on the understanding that they would gi/j their names and addresses. Mr I’aris made this announcement to the crowd, which then dispersed. Ac 8 o'clock it returned several thousand strong and while waiting for Mrs Black to arrive Messrs Bryan O’Donnell, G Geddes and T. Hunter addressed them “ The Red Flag ” was sung frequently and it was obvious that a number of women were the leading spirits in the demonstration.

Mrs Black, Air H. L. Paterson, and the Rev. Percy Paris, and a number of others arrived later on and several of the more necessitous cases were dealt with, their names and addresses being supplied first. One young woman who was admitted into the depot refused to accept anything but a money order and departed empty-handed. Those at the depot distributed all they could in. the evening, but the crowd was plainly in a hostile mood and remained till a late hour. MONEY ORDERS DEMANDED CONFERENCE WITH HOSPITAL BOARD. The conference at the Hospital Board’s office was presided over by the chairman of the board (Mr W. E. 8. Knight) and the spokesmen for the unemployed were Messis R. Geddes. T. Hunter, and Mrs O’Rorke. Mrs O’Rorke explained that they were there to regain the money orders that they had formerly. “We are sick of those sugar bags,” she said, “They are loath some. We had relief every week, but now it is once every month. Mr T. Hunter said they did not think that the unemployed were getting enough to keep them going. Those men who used to get an order for 17s 6d were now getting 10s 6d worth of food and they now wanted the orders back.

Mr G. Geddes said that they were not asking for anything unreasonable, but just the necessities of life. “ I might say to the board,” he added. “ that we are determined to have them. We are only asking what is fair and reasonable and just and equitable. Before the Mayor’s depot started the Hospital Board gave orders to those men who had lc. stand down for a week. Now the Hospi tai Board has stopped those orders. I believe those orders were stopped purely and simplj- to avoid paying out the sum involved. I think it is a disgrace that men and their wives and children should starve.” Mr Geddes mentioned a num. her of cases in which, he said, the reliet given at the Mayor’s depot eyas entirely inadequate. One family with half a dozen children had received relief the previous Friday and was unable to secure any more until to-day. He knew the difficulties with which the community was confronted, but one thing certain was that they could not starve the people. They wanted the money orders because they thought the other system was disgraceful. They were proud of their nation, but there was little cause for pride if there was no food. They felt that carrying sugar bags round the town was only pauperising the population, and if that were not stopped they were going to organise passive resistance. The superintendent of police was there, and he (the speaker) was going to say now that if nothing was done they were going to use force. The money had got to be found. He did not blame the Mayor's relief depot. He thought the responsibility should be handed on to the Government. Mr Geddes added that he had six children and last week he did not get more than two loaves of bread from the depot when he was entitled to six. Mrs Black: You must be badly treated compared with the others. Mr Geddes: I venture to say that I got mv share along with the others. CAMPS FOR SINGLE MEN. Air Geddes also referred to the camps for unemployed single men. Conditions there, he said, were absolutely deplorable, and they had close on 200 unemployed single men going round the city cadging food, and this winter there would be several hundred young men who would be | a menace to the country, living by their wits. They asked that the depot be closed and that the unemployed be given an order sufficient to cover the necessities of life. Then the board’s responsibility would be finished. “ We brag about our privileges under the British flag,” Mr Geddes concluded, “ and I claim the right to be allowed to live —not just the crumbs that fall from the rich man’s table, but a reasonable ■ amount.” Mr T. Hunter said that boys and girls between 16 and 20 years of age were getting no work at all, and he felt that the board ought to help them. He added that there were no eamps available for single men now, and even if there were vacancies the conditions were impossible. Since there was no camp work available thej’ thought the Hospital Board should give the single men an order for 7s 6d a week. Air Geddes repeated that if they did not get orders they would see that men and women were fed properly, and he said that in the.presence of the superintendent of police. Nobody seemed to be responsible for what was happening. It was supposed to be the Mayor’s depot that was responsible, but they had been told at the Town Hall that the Hospital Board was responsible. They had asked for direct representation on the Unemployment Committee and they were told

that that was done in Wellington. On communicating with Wellington they bad been informed that that was a matter for the local committees. They had representatives in other centres. “I take it that the reason you don’t want a representative on this committee,” Air Geddes added, “i s that you don’t want us t<know r what is going on.” Air Hunter brought up the question of the number of eviction cases. People were being put out of their houses every week, he said. A woman had been put out only that morning and there were six cases the previous night in Glasgow street. I hat sort of thing happened every dav. It was terrible. The woman who had been evicted that morning was still in the street with her furniture. They were not going to stand by and see them put out of their houses.

Air Knight said that they recognised the position the unemployed were in, and they were not unsympathetic. The Dow ling street depot was opened temporarilv and they thought that when Parliament met the unemployment question would be dealt with first. The working of the Act would make it appear that the hospital boat ds were responsible for providing for indigent people, but when it cameinto force it was never contemplated that conditions would be as they were to-day. They had come to the end of their resources. It had been represented that they were a wealthy board, but that was not so. They had no money. The outcome of the conference in Dunedin was a recommendation to the board advising the closing of the emergency depot in Dowling street and co-operation with the Mayor's relief depot. He quite agreed that the responsibility rested with the Government, and he only hoped as far as f he Hospital Board -was concerned that it would meet its responsibilties and that sufficient food would be given. No person should be allowed to starve. It was probable that in the next two or three weeks they would know what was going io be done. He did not think the board would agree to an emergency depot in Dowling street. Air Geddes: We still reiterate our determination to get this order. We had a mass meeting last night and carried a resolution to that effect, so we are not voicing just our own opinions. Mr Hunter: I know the people are going to be far from satisfied. The chairman; It is impossible to tell you until the matter has been before the board whether we are going to close the depot. Air Geddes: We are willing to let the board meet. The people can starve tor a day or two more. The other members of the deputation dissented from those sentiments. PROCESSIONS THROUGH STREETS CANVASS OF SHOPS AND WAREHOUSES The demonstrations by a section of the unemployed which were commenced on Friday as a protest against the inadequacy of the relief dispensed to the men and their families during their standclown week were continued with unabated vigour in the city on Saturday. Early in the morning a crowd assembled at the Town Hall in anticipation of their leaders’ instructions, and it was late in the evening before the streets resumed their normal appearance. The activities of the crowd took the form of processions up and down the main thoroughfares at intervals during the day, with a view, it was stated, to impressing upon the people of Dunedin the plight of hundreds of men, women, and children. The processions were all timed to catch the largest possible number of spectators, such as are to be found in the streets at mid-day, at the time that the houses of amusement are just filling up, and also when they come out. From about 10 in the morning until midnight there were scenes of unwonted activity throughout the city, while massed meetings were also held in the Queen’s Gardens.

The prime cause of the trouble was the failure of the Mayor s relief depot to provide that measure of relief which was considered by the unemployed to be the due of everyone who applied for it. An endeavour was made to induce the Otago Hospital Board to hold a special meeting to discuss the reissue of orders in the ■stand-down week, and having failed in that, the crowd decided to appoint a committee of half a dozen to make a personal canvass of provision stores and warehouses for food to tide needy families over the week-end. This proved not unsuccessful, although the goods collected did little more than fill the requirements of the unusually large proportion of women who took part in the demonstrations. The modus operandi was a procession from place to place, the crowd gathering at the doorway of each of the premises visited, while its representatives negotiated with those in authority. Standard-bearers carried a large banner designed to depict the plight of the unemployed, and were generally followed by a crowd singing “ The Red Flag.” the words of which had been distributed in leaflet form, and others of the propagandist songs that have been heard so frequently of late.

Apart from the serious inconvenience caused by the congregation of large crowds in the streets on one of the busiest mornings of the -week and the congestion caused by the thronging of pavements by interested onlookers, nothing untoward happened during the day. A large body of police, including men from coi ntry stations, and plain clothes officers patrolled the streets under the direction of Subinspector Cameron, but they were not called upon to do more than regulate the crowds when they threatened to block traffic and keep a watchful eye on the processionists, whom they followed from place to place. The first move was made from the Town Hall shortly after 10 o’clock. The police guard refused to allow the leader to address the crowd from the steps, therebj’ causing . a good deal of dissatisfaction among many who resented being turned away from a public building. The speaker, however, mounted the concrete wall of the cathedral and restated the demands that had been made on the previous day, alleging shameful lack of sympathy on the part of certain of the relief authorities, mis-statements on the part of another, and insisting that it was the duty of the Hospital Board to hold a

special meeting at once to consider the situation. He admitted that this request had already been refused, but said that they were going to try again. He concluded with the not very clear remark, “ If we get no satisfaction on this occasion, then I'll leave it to you people yourselves.”

The procession was thereupon formed and marched down George street. On arrival at the Hospital Board’s office the crowd found that they had been preceded by a force of police, who would allow no one inside the building. Sergeant Boulton called on the secretary (Air J. Jacbos) and communicated the request of the crowd for a deputation to be received. Air Jacobs rang the chairman of the board (Air W. E. S. Knight) and told him that a crowd had again assembled, and was demanding a special meeting of the board. The chairman replied that he had given his answer the day before, and that was final. The board could not do anything more. Any relief they secured now must be from the Alayor’s depot, and application must be made for it there in the usual way. The board was prepared to reconsider the matter at its meeting on Thursday. => A deputation of four was then admitted, and the terms of Air Knight's reply were conveyed to them. The deputation attempted to argue with Air Jacobs, who said he could do nothing about it; he was merely carrying out the instructions of his board.

When they rejoined the crowd Air Bryan O’Donnell was addressing the crowd, demanding the resignation of the Government, and among other things visualising a repetition in New Zealand of what had just recently occurred in Newfoundland. He was very much afraid that it was coming to that, and failed to see how it could possibly be avoided.

The deputation then conveyed Air Jacobs’s answer to the crowd. “We can expect nothing. We leave it to you now. Whatever you do we will do." The announcement was greeted with indignant shouting and loud-voiced demands were made for Air Jacobs, while others clamoured to know where the members of the Hospital Board lived. A suggestion was then made that a committee of six should be formed to canvass shops and warehouses for supplies. _ The idea met with a very mixed reception, and a great deal of arguing and shouting followed, but it was eventually agreed that the proposal should be put into effect.

The first place visited was Alessis Irvine and Stevenson’s, where a request for goods to be sent to the Tabernacle met with a ready response. From there the procession traversed George street and Princes street, and then turned into Crawford street. In every case assistance was forthcoming with the single exception cf one firm, whose representative said he could not grant the request, mainly because £2O had been forwarded to the relief authorities in two days. Shortly after mid-day, the procession turned its attention to restaurants and hotels with requests for meals. The response here was excellent. Some eating houses took as many 30 or 40 men and women, and several hotels accommodated even larger numbers at considerable expense and great inconvenience, and before the afternoon was two hours old most cf those in need of a meal had been fed. The crowd reassembled in the afternoon in the Queen's Gardens, where meetings were held both afternoon and evening, and some of the speakers intimated that it was the intention of the police to take action against the leaders of the demonstration. This announcement was greeted with howls of indignation, and it ■was thereupon agreed that the crowd should go as a massed deputation to the police headquarters to ascertain “ whether the police were going to victimise the leaders.” The procession marched to the station, and representatives waited on Superintendent Eccles. The superintendent, however, refused to discuss the matter at all. He heard what the deputation had to say, but declined to make any comment on the matter whatever. He gave no indication of what the police intended to do, and with that the crowd had to be satisfied.

An adjournment was then made to the Tabernacle, where the goods canvassed for in the morning had been delivered, and a distribution was made to the most necessitous cases, most of the women and children being provided for, and some of the men. The supplies were totally inadequate for the demands which were made on them. , The crowd carried on far into the night, singing and marching up and down, repairing to the Tabernacle and the Queen’s Gardens from time to time, where they were addressed by an unending succession of speakers. It was noticeable, however, that the counsels of all who addressed the gatherings became markedly more moderate as the evening wore on, one or two exhibiting open concern for their fate as a result of the day’s proceedings. In the processions after dark and late in the evening there were large numbers of women and children, and not a few perambulators.