This article is from The Age of July 26, 1916. You can read the full article here
AN UNPLEASANT INCIDENT
Addressing a meeting of about 200 public servants outside the Government Printing Office yesterday, Mr J. W. Billson, M.L.A., member of the State Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, made an earnest appeal for co-operation and assistance in the flotation of the new war loan. Mr W. Cattanach, chairman of the State Rivers and Walter Supply Commission, presided. The meeting was marked by an unpleasant incident, in which the central figures were Mr C. Catani, Chief Engineer, and Mr. Kerrigan, an official in the Treasury department. At the conclusion of Mr. Billson's speech, the chairman asked those present if they desired any information regarding the loan.
Mr Kerrigan: Yes, I want to ask a question. Do you think the stoppage of increments* by the Victorian Government is likely to increase the sale of bonds (Cries of 'Don't answer him' and uproar, in which a voice was heard, 'Put him out.')
Mr Kerrigan (moving towards the crowd): Who said 'Put him out'? Who said 'Put him out'?
Mr C. Catani (stepping forward): 'I said 'Put him out!'
Mr Kerrigan: Oh, you, you're a foreigner. (Uproar)
Mr Catani: I am not a foreigner. I have a son fighting for us. He's over in France now - fighting for you and me. You are a cur!
Mr Catani's voice was scarcely audible above the uproar. Several of those present assumed a threatening attitude towards Mr Kerrigan, and one gentleman planted himself in front of that official in the 'shaping-up' attitude. For a moment it seemed as if the advice of Mr. Catani was to be put into practical effect, but the chairman called the attention of the meeting back to the speaker, and the incident passed off. Mr. Billson said he refused to answer a question which he considered invaded political ground. 'I ask you to help us to beat the Germans,' he added, 'and then you can fight your own battles and divide the spoils'.
This is a precis of the rest of the article - Mr. Billson, in the course of his remarks, went onto to say that provision needed to be made for the payment of 300,000 troops abroad and the pensions of the dependants of those who had been killed, they also had to provide ammunition and equipment and this was at a cost of one million pounds per week, plus the normal expenditure for the government which meant 1,500,000 pounds was needed per week.....To do that he was appealing to them to do their utmost, according to their means, to help in the flotation of the new war loan. ......The war loan was a good investment, and they could not get a better. He appealed to them with confidence to help the Federal Government to make the flotation of the loan a success. A resolution was then put by the chairman that the meeting support in every manner possible the flotation of the war loan, and this was carried with enthusiasm.
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Mr J. W. Billson was John William Billson (1862 - 1924), Member for Fitzroy and at one time Deputy Leader of the Labour Party- read about him here in the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
Mr W. Cattanach was William Cattanach (1863 - 1932) who was appointed to the newly created State Rivers & Water Supply Commission in 1906 and became Chairman in 1915. You can read more about him in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, here.
I don't know anything else about Mr Kerrigan.
*An announcement made in June 1916 that Public Servants over and above a certain Grade (earning £336 per annum) would not receive their normal increments such as the yearly increases they receive whilst advancing through their class or grade and their end of band payments. Read about it here - perhaps Mr Kerrigan was one of those who would miss out on this increment.
