AUSTRALIAN UNEMPLOYED.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2556, 17 July 1909, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN UNEMPLOYED.

VIOLENT SPEECHES AT BROKEN HILL. “TEAR THE TOWN TO PIECES. Another largely-attended meeting of the unemployed Avas held in Sulphide street, Broken Hill, on July 2, when further inflammatory speeches were made Percy Laidler said: “If they delivered an ultimatum that Avithin a fortnight they Avould bIoAV up the city they Avould find that Avork would be found for them immediately. There Aver© hundreds of men in Broken Hill capable of turning the town upside doAvn if Avork Avas not given them. . They should take up the .unemployed agitation. Let them conduct it in a forceful manner. Let them put more ginger into it. Let them do whatever they dared do, in order to force the poAvers that be to find them work. Let tho Mayor tell Wade that lie could not guarantee the safety of the private property of the toAA-n, and in less than 24 hours there would bo found work for them. There Avas plenty of material on which tliev could live in the L, ops in Argent Street. If they were refused tucker it dei r ol\ r cd on them to go and take it. , They should go to Jack Long and demand to be provided with work or tucker. If the Mayor could not do that, they would have to take possession of the British mine, and if they could not do that, they Avould have to tear the town to pieces, fe Avas prepared to do something.” Hugh bAvindley mounted the chair utilised as a platform, and called for volunteers to march to tho Town Hall and intervioAV the Mayor. There was a chorus of assent. He said he prepared to stand beside Wood, and, if necessary, thrown a bomb or burn a house doAvm, so long as lie could do something in the interests of the unemployed. A deputation "afterwards interviewed' the Mayor, Aid. Long, ivho, in reply to tho demands, said the. council had been doing all that it could for the men out of ivor'k. “As a matter of fact,” he proceeded, “the Go\ r ernment has just as much a set on the council as on you blokes.” • fho deputation ‘requested the Mayor to communicate Avith the Premier, and make it plain that the unemployed AA r ere getting restless, and something would have to he done. Tho Mayor promised to make the letter as stiff as possible. He also agreed to a request to address the unemployed meeting next jtlay. The majority of the unemployed appeared to treat the violent speeches of the agitators more in the of a joke, but they badly needed work.