A HUNGRY CROWD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 18, 22 January 1935, Page 8

A HUNGRY CROWD

PRIME MINISTER HELD UP DEMANDS FOR FOOD. iLB. FOR BBS .DELAYED 40 MINUTES. t Ter Press Association 1 CHRISTCHURCH Jan. 21. (Maiming that they were hungry and in immediate need of food, nearly 400 relief workers blocked the stairs of the Government buildings this afternoon when the Prime Minister (thf Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes) wisned xo leave after hearing a deputation from the canterbury Unemployed Workers Association. The situation was embarrassing for Mr. Forbes, as he was due at Lyttelton to take part in the official farewell to the Duke of Gloucester. It was 5 p.m. when he first attempted to leave the building and he left at 5.4( p.m., accompanied by Inspector Cam erou, of the Ohristchurc'h police ant Sergeant Harrison. In the meantime Mr. Forbes, at the request of the men had made fruitless attempts to com municate with the Mayor. Deputy Mayor and chairman and members ol the Metropolitan Relief Association but none could be reached by tele phone. Mr. Forbes then wrote a lettei and addressed it to the chairman of the association, the effect of which was thai there was a crowd of relief workers ir the Government buildings who declarec they were hungry and in need of im mediate relief. He asked th chairmar to distribute to hhe men the food o: money available for relief of distress as it was the desire of the Governmen' that no person in New Zealand shouk starve. On this being communicates to the men they made way for Mr Forbes to go into the lift and leave th< building. Then, after a brief meeting at the head of the stairs they decide/ to go to Latimer Square, while thei leaders, armed with the letter, tried tx procure rations. The crowd was at all times perfect h orderly and made no menacing ges tures, but their mere presence effectively stopped Mr. Forbes from leaving tin building. This was openly declared tt be the intention of some of those ii the crowd. One woman, planting her self at the door of the office in whicl Mr. Forbes was, said: “I have gokiddies starving at home. He won’ get away unless he does something.” While the crowd was waiting an< Mr. Forbes tried to communicate witl the Mayor and others, a party in t»h. crowd sang several verses of “Th Red Flag.