NEW ZEALAND: Hussies & Pillage

Not pangs of hunger but a will to have nice things prompted 10,000 New Zealanders to stage a demonstration which became a series of bloody riots in Auckland last week. Time after time the mob swept down Queen Street, smashing the windows of smart shops right & left, seized $350,000 worth of nice things.

"Never in all New Zealand has such a thing happened before!" puffed the Mayor of Auckland after 48 hours of civic chaos. "If things go on like this I shall positively be obliged to read the Riot Act!"

Young women of the most brazen sort, Auckland reporters agreed, were ringleaders in turning an orderly procession of jobless men down Queen Street into a wild scramble of pillage. One of the hussies wore a sweater—the reporters were sure. Beyond that they only knew that the young women placed themselves unexpectedly at the head of the procession and began throwing stones into the window of a jewelry store. Four hussies were seen to escape with skirtsful of jewelry down a side street. By that time their feminine example had spurred the men to some really heavy looting. Auckland police, who have had no practice on mobs, made awkward efforts to clear Queen Street, but the first riot lasted four hours.

Up from the waterfront came at last British bluejackets from the British ex-cruiser H. M. S. Philomel, launched in 1890, rated today as a training ship. With these sailors guarding Queen Street, confident New Zealand insurance men wrote policies covering glass not yet broken at premiums only 50% above normal, but charged for new fire & theft policies 1,000% above the old rate. That night Auckland went quietly to bed and next clay Premier Forbes soothed New Zealand's House of Representatives at Wellington.

"My Government is fully prepared to meet eventualities," said he. "These were not food riots but the work of a criminal element. Not a single grocery store or food shop has been looted."

Shouted Laborite John Holland, "If the Government doesn't stop quibbling and help the unemployed, then what's happened so far is only the foretaste of what's going to happen!"

To keep the aftertaste from happening Auckland hastily swore in 1.200 special constables. Also two squadrons of the sharpshooting Waikato Mounted Rifles arrived with a loud clop-clopping to protect Queen Street. But suddenly on the second night the mob, swarming in from side streets, engulfed once more the inexperienced forces of Law & Order. Three more hours of rioting broke almost every Queen Street window while insurance men despaired. Even Auckland newshawks were staggered, reported that "members of the crowd cursed and swore the most fearful oaths."

When special constables, brandishing their new truncheons, closed in on a woe-begone looking man who was helping himself to purple neckties, part of the mob suddenly set up such a roar of "Leave that man alone!" that the special constables let him alone and he absconded publicly with the purple neckties.