EARLY CLOSING ASSOCIATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 4417, 10 July 1884, Page 2

EARLY CLOSING ASSOCIATION.

A MKRTnmof lieraons Interested in tho Early Hosing movement- was held last evening in the Y.M.OTA. rooniH. Amongst the employers present wero-Jlossrs. W. li. Smith, 1. Heiuliill, \V. Williams (Williams nml McCulloukli), French. Hughes, Gilmour, kv. Jlr. Smith was railed to tho chair, and intimated that the business was tho adoption ot 11 code of rules fur tho Kutdanco or tho association, and which the committee appointed by tlio lust general mooting hud drawn up. The secretary, Mr O'Leaay, then read the rules, nml after some discussion they were iinoniinoiisly adopted. The following olllcors were t hen elected - -President, Mr James Jlcl'oali Clark; vice-presidents, .Messrs Kllyctt lUlunvlllo and Ellyett) and 11. Arthur; chairman Air Gordon: treasurer, Mr Huneimim; secretary, Mr O'l-eiiry. Tho following were (■looted a committee of management—Messrs Davis, WHkethley, Seulirook, Kocho, NOIU, French, \V. 11. Smith, Tri(?t'. Allan, Hughes, Koso, llaxtcr, Williams. ISilmour, and Ambnry. Tho nnostion of reducing tho long hours on Saturdays next 0111110 up for discussion. Air W. 11. Smith said that, as an employer, lie came forward lo do alt In his power lo .shorten the hours iv which the shopmen and shopwomen of Auckland were obliged to toil. He would bo triad lo close his businep.i earlier if the employers were only uiiamnioiis, but it was not fair for tho Queen street shops lo close and leave the suburban shops open, which would mean driving the trade into the suburbs. To make the movement a success, it is nocessary lor Ihe employers to bo unanimous. Ho was of opinion that Ihe Saturday night business could be very easily done before 8 o'clock, and a large majority of the drapers would bo only too glad to;close at 8 o'clock on Satureay night; but, unfortunately there are black sheep in overy flock, and it lay in tho favour of two or three to defeat the good intentions of the rest. Jlo would like the copies of Mr Vine's speech purchased from the printers and distributed all over the city, which would have a good effect upon' public opinion. — Mr Williams fully endorsed the last speaker's suntinipnu.—Mr Kendall said be thought the association word aimiiii; at too much in trying to got 8 o'clock on Saturdays. lie thought that If they closed an hour earlier on week nighls and 10 o'clock on Saturday night il would be a very good start, and tboy would gradually tench the public lo shop earlier.—Mr French followed in the same strain.—Mr Trigg said that 8 o'clock was not an unreasonable hour to ask £pr. He thought thai the present long hours was a pressure on human happiness which no pica of commerce could justify. " Uuslness must bo done" is tho wholo moral law with somo men, but 110 business should bo done which mars and risks life, presses and wears out your follow-crcaturos. He was in favour of appealing to the public to avoid patronising those shops that would not close early on Saturdays.—Mr Davis was of the siime opinion. Ho thought the long hours on Saturdays was a state of things that should not exist, in any Christian city.—Mr Williams said some members of tho ladies' committee of the Blue Ribbon Army had already started to work, and hod got a number of ladies to pledge themselves lo shop eaVly on .Saturdays, and to avoid those places that would not close at reasonable hours.—Several1 other gonlleinun Bpqke, and nfler somo further discussion it waa decided to llx lye hqur for closing oh Saturdays at a future meeting.—On the motion of Mr Smith, it was resolved to pay the printer (ho' account duo for the printing of Mr Vine's address o» early closing. A subscription was then opened for that object, and tho sum of £1 odd colfcctcd. A vote of thanks to tho chntrmrn brought a most successful mooting to a close.