THE AUCKLAND RIOT

Patea Mail, Volume LIII, 18 April 1932, Page 4

THE AUCKLAND RIOT

MOB WRECKS QUEEN STREET. LOOTING AND BATTLE WITH POLICE. 150 CASUALTIES REPORTED. Further details of the appalling riot which occurred in Auckland on Thursday night have come to hand. Fierce fighting broke out between a section of the rioters and the police in the vicinity of the Town Hall. Stones and fence palings were freely used and hundreds of people were treated at the Auckland Hospital for minor injuries. Three policemen were seriously injured and at least throe civilians are in hospital suffering from concussion. At least 20 arrests were made.

Practically every shop window in Queen Street was smashed and rifled. Jewellery, clothing, bottles of spiritous liquors, boxes of cigars and pipes -were removed by bands of lawless youths and men. The total damage to Queen Street shopkeepers is estimated at over £IOO,OOO. The city's main street resembles nothing so much as a 'quake stricken area. The fight outside the Town Hall was a bitter and sanguinary struggle. Police who were patrolling the procession and guarding the entrances to the hall found themselves involved in a furious melee. Batons were used liberally. Mounted police, reinforcements of foot police, fire engines, and detachments from H.M.S. Philomel were summoned, but even these forces were unable to keep control over the many bands of rioters who marched up and down Queen Street, stoning windows and looting, disorder being in progress from eight o'clock until nearly .11 o’clock.

The origin of the trouble is obscure. Post and Telegraph Department- employees held a procession up Queen Street at 7.30 p.m. as a preliminary to a meeting in the Town Hall to protest against the wages cut. Uninvited unemployed formed a procession behind but the crowd poured out of the hall and joined the throng outside.

UNEMPLOYED WOMEN.

“GOING TO GET WHAT WE ASK.”

WILL FIGHT BACK WITH THE MEN. The unemployed women of Wellington, who have formed an organisation under the auspices of the Trades and Labour Council, on Thursday approached the Minister in charge of unemployment (the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates) wdth a strong request to receive at least the same consideration as single men wko pay the unemployment tax. There were about 150 in the deputation, which was introduced by Mr. H. E. Holland (Leader of the Opposition) and accompanied by Messrs. P. Fraser, R. Semple, R. MeKccn, and W. J. Jordan (Labour members of Parliament).

Miss O’Connor, speaking impassioncdly, after assuring the Minister that employers were taking advantage of the situation to exploit women, said that the deputation differed from any one wdiich had previously approached him; it was going to obtain what it asked. “This is not a threat,’’ she said. “We have discouraged our men who had thoughts of insurrection, but we are no longer going to do that; we are going to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. We will fight back with them, and when the women start to fight all I can say is God help you and all the other people on the benches of Parliament. ’'

DUNEDIN DISTURBANCE,

LEADER SURRENDERS TO POLICE

SEVEN NOW IN CUSTODY.

Leonard Daniel Hunter, aged 29, a New Zealander, gave himself up to the police on Thursday morning and later appeared in the Dunedin Court charged with inciting lawlessness.

The police said that Hunter knew there was a warrant, out for his arrest. He bad been under cover for 2-1 hours. He was the louder of the unemployed disorders and led the procession to the hospital board’s office. He was remanded in custody till Wednesday, with the other six arrested previously.

SMASHED £36 WINDOW,

AUCKLAND MAN CONVICTED,

At the Auckland Police Court on April 14, William Young, aged 54, fireman, pleaded guilty to a charge of breaking a plate glass window with a stone on the previous day in the front of a large drapery firm’s building valued at £36.

The police said Young’s action had no connection with the unemployed demonstration, but it might easily have led to trouble and they asked for a penalty that -would deter others. The magistrate ordered Young to pay for the damage, in default imprisonment for a month.

VIOLENCE IN KARANGAHAPE RD.

An ugly fight between special constables and a section of the rioters occurred opposite the premises of the Bon Marche in Karangahape Road on Friday night. Two men were seriously injured by baton wounds and a dozen more received blows of a less serious character. At a late hour it was ascertained that 30 arrests had been made, principally on charges of rioting and mischief. No actual looting was reported.

The ambulance treated 30 men for minor injuries, and three eases arc in hospital.

An announcement that if disturbances similar to that of the past two nights occurred again he would have no hesitation in reading the Riot Act, was made by the Mayor, Mr, G. W. Hutchinson. “The effect of the reading of the Riot Act will be that one hour after it has been read, if the crowd does not disperse every person who remains in the vicinity will be liable to arrest and imprisonment for life,’'.the Mayor said. “That would mean that the whole of the streets would be cleared.’’

MOUNTED MEN FROM WAIKATO,

Mounted men from Waikato, comprising two squadrons of the Waikato Mounted Rifles, who were in camp at Cambridge and volunteered for special duty in Auckland on Thursday night, reached the city on Friday morning and were quartered at the Epsom showgrounds, The men wore in uniform on arrival, but it was decided that they could not operate as a military force and were therefore changed into civilian garb, and their arras were changed for batons.

THOUSAND SPECIAL POLICE

NO LIMIT TO APPLICATIONS

ALL SORTS OF MEN OFFERING

Over 1000 special constables., were enrolled by the police in the city on Friday as a safeguard against further disturbances. Mr. S. Till, Superintendent of Police, has direct charge of all operations, and he has under his control the military, naval, and air force units, a largely augmented police force, and a special force. The detective office was transformed into n recruiting depot, when six detectives were kept busy at typewriters taking details of those offering - for special duty.

LOSS TO SHOPKEEPERS. NO INSURANCE AGAINST RIOT. “The position with regard to the insurance of plate glass windows smashed in Auckland is that the loss falls on the owners or occupiers of the property and not on the insurance companies,” stated a prominent insurance company officer in New Plymouth. “The ordinary plate glass policy does not cover loss or damage caused by a riot or a civil commotion. With regard to the stock and goods destroyed or looted, no insurance cover would be held to provide against this loss.” In Queen Street alone there are 210 broken shop windows, and those in side streets probably bring the total to 250,

The evidence of the looted shops seems to show clearly that this was no food riot. As far as wns"noticcd not a provision shop was looted. The looters instead rifled jewellers, tobacconists, clothiers, and confectioners.

BAN ON PUBLIC MEETINGS,

Inquiries were made on Friday night of the Public Service Commissioner and the Commissioner of Police as to the position with respect to public meetings. Although nothing definite was disclosed it is understood the Auckland announcement that any public demonstration or meeting will not be permitted until further notice will apply to Wellington and to all other centres of population.

CHURCH DAMAGED BY FIRE,

Serious damage was done to the Church of The Epiphany, Karangahape head, by Arc ivhich broke out on Friday evening just about the time of the commencement of disturbances which occurred in the shopping area nearby. The main damage was done to the organ, which was soon a charred mass. This portion of the building was badly burned and the whole of the choir library was consumed. The vicar, Ecv. Jaspar Caldor, was able to save the church records and communion plate. The origin of the Arc could not be determined.