“MARCH ON PARLIAMENT”

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1932, Page 7

“MARCH ON PARLIAMENT”

UNEMPLOYED OF CANADA demand made for relief INSURANCE PLAN SOUGHT CONFERENCE AT OTTAWA By Telegraph—Press Assn—Copyright. Ottawa, August 1. Travelling by automobile, freight car and on foot, a band of unemployed estimated at between 200 and 300 arrived at Ottawa over the week-end to attend the workers’ economic conference, scheduled to begin on Monday. Before the week is out, leaders of the movement declare, 1200 men will be in the capital. A march on Parliament is planned for Tuesday, when an attempt will be made to see Mr. R. B. Bennett (Prime Minister) and to present demands. These are said to include a noncontributory unemployment insurance for civilians and one dollar ten cents per day cash for unemployed war veterans. ’

Seven hundred ( delegates to the national conference of unemployment councils met in. an abandoned garage on Monday and pasesd resolutions urging a non-contributory unemployment insurance, shorter working days, a cessation of police terrorism and the exemption of all poor farmers from taxes and debt and rent payments. There were scores of women in the crowd, and the ex-sol-dier division included former officers in the Canadian Corps, one of -whom won the Distinguished Flying Cross. At least one lawyer and two former preachers were there.

Those attending the so-called workers’ economic conference are members of the Workers’ Ex-Servicemen’s League and National unemployed councils. Both are regarded as Communistic and therefore illegal. The campers are being meagrely fed- by the workers’ international relief organisation. Mr. Bennett has agreed to receive seven delegates to-morrow provided they are not Communists. Their demands include a dole of ten dollars weekly, the release of imprisoned Labour agitators; the removal of Canada’s embargo on Russian goods, a seven-hour day, a fiveday week, the stoppage of shipments of food and war materials to Japan, and the repeal of tariffs and taxes keeping up the prices of necessities. There is every likelihood of a clash with the authorities to-morrow. The police are prepared for emergencies and the leaders threaten to summon large reinforcements in the event of their demands not being conceded. “CO-OPERATIVE COMMONWEALTH.” ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT. Rec. 7 p.m. Vancouver, Aug. 1. A Calgary message states that Mr. J. S. Woodsworth, Labour, member in the Federal Parliament for the Winnipeg North centre, has been elected president of the newly-organised Co-operative Commonwealth Federation.