Struggletown by Janet McCalman

Author:Janet McCalman [McCalman, Janet]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Australia & New Zealand
ISBN: 9780522877199
Google: R3geEAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Melbourne University Publishing
Published: 2021-02-02T00:46:51+00:00

Sepsis: 1931–1934

The Depression was taking a terrible toll of political life and morale. As the Scullin and Hogan governments faltered, local government in Richmond, sank to new depths. Fearful of the growing effectiveness of the militant unemployed as the U.W.M. renewed its campaign for a money dole in February 1931, many Richmond councillors became ever more obsessed with the Communist menace while their constituents remained afflicted by the capitalist menace. Council meetings were dominated by the problems of unemployment relief but discussions ‘usually led’ to ‘personal recriminations and nothing in particular’. Some Richmond councillors were labouring under bad consciences and the U.W.M. was whispering in the community about the distribution of government handouts by the Mayoral Relief Committee. The Council counter-attacked in March by forming an anti-Communist organization for the unemployed, the Richmond Unemployed Association. It installed its puppet in a factory in Little Buckingham Street, provided stationery with a handsome letter-head and helped with socials and advertising to raise funds. The officials of the new association were anxious ‘to make it clear to the business people of Richmond, that our movement has not at any time been connected with other movements of a similar nature in Richmond’. That same week police had been called to forcibly eject demonstrators against the Mayoral Relief Committee from the Town Hall.22

But the allegations would not go-away. In June the North Richmond branch of the A.L.P. called for the abolition of the Mayoral Committee on the grounds that since the Government’s Central Relief Board had been established the Richmond committee was superfluous, wasteful and creating ‘a lack of harmony.23 Then on 9 June E. Barry of the U.W.M. wrote to the ‘Mayor and Council’:

Dear Sirs,

The recent decision of the Richmond council that all moneys raised for the local unemployed must be handed into the Mayor’s fund. I guess that it would go the same as the Million Penny Fund to a few of the pets. Cr Lightfoot opposed it strongly I am not surprised at that because if he has to hand the money in from the Picture night then there would be mighty few boots for the women and children and none for his pets. Then again we see that Cr Lightfoot wants auditors to go into the Books. Did Cr Lightfoot have his books looked over by auditors and let the ratepayers see how he juggled his money. It would be a good thing for the unemployed if that was done. Now we get to another statement. Cr O’Connell talks about the communists. They must be his nightmare as he abuses them whenever he gets the chance. In the past when the U.W.M. asked the council for any concessions the first question Cr O’Connell slings out—are you a communist. I am no communist myself but I would rather be a communist than a twister. Cr O’Connell says that everything must be fair and above board in regards unemployment. I can bring proof regarding how fair and above board that the work is given out at the Reserve.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.