EIGHT COGENT REASONS FOR SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 14, 17 January 1895, Page 5

EIGHT COGENT REASONS FOR SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—l. Why nob make Saturday the day, and then let both those in favour of Wednesday and Saturday combine and send a petition of shopkeepers to both Houses to do away with all exemptions. 2. Saturday is already enjoyed as a halfholiday by a very largo majority. 3. Tho purchasing public will have Friday night for their shopping, thus giving all a chance who could nob get out during the day. 4. Are bhe Karangahapo Road minority to rule the majdrity, especially as the purchasing public universally favour Saturday ? 5. The Queen-street shops employ many more, hands than those in .Karangahape Road, etc. 6. Queen-street would be more inconvenienced than Karanghape Road, as many employ clerks and workers, 30 como under the Factory Act, thus they would have two holidays in one week if Wednesday wero chosen. 7. Married men employed in shops would feel compelled to take tbeir children away from school on Wednesday to enjoy the only holiday with their parents. Saturday would get over that difficulty. 8. If Saturday is chosen employers would willingly pay wages on Friday, thus giving the purchasing public ample time to purchase and also give time on Saturday afternoon for husband, wifo and children to enjoy their holiday knowing that ail supplies were in. " Shopkeeper" (not on Queen-street.) (To the Editor.) « Sir, —Mr Dickson asks me to prove that the man who signed the petition in favour of Saturday closing sixteen times did so with the knowledge of Committee and canvassers. Such an unreasonable request I cannot comply with : but challenge Mr Dickson to prove that all names attached to his petition . are genuine or that one-half their places of abode could be given, unlesa ib is bhe children under age who have been induced to sign. I would advise Mr Dickson to be careful with his £10, and nob spend them rashly, but to take a friend's advice and start a fund so as to be able to help those who will be thrown out of employment through this cruel and unjust law, as I understand some of the large houses are aboub to dispense with one-third of their hands, so that many will have holidays in abundance. I am in favour ot Saturday closing, provided there are no exemptions, and have for several years closed my establishment many hours earlier than anyone else in tho samo lino of business in Victoriastreet, and cannot see any reason why I should be compelled to close while all others can remain open on my. best day for business.—l am, etc., J. H. Hansan. P.S.—My statement in the. V.M.C.A. re councillors is wrongly reported, and should have read if councillors injure me by closing my shop I will retaliate. 1 decline to supply information to any auonymoua correspondent who is ashamed of his name. J.H.H, (To the Editor). Sir, —I cannot allow Mr Hannan's statement at yesterday's meeting to go uncontradicted. Ho stated (if reported correctly) regarding the petition signed by the citizens and purchasing public, and numbering closo pn 8,000 peoplo, in favour of Saturday, thab one person signed it no loss than sixteen different times, and it was also signed by Sir George Grey's unborn millions, thereby tending to discredit the petition. No doubt Mr Han nan was carried away by the exciting debate in making those incorrect statements and if ho is a man of honour, (which I take him to be), ho will instantly withdraw such statements. His whole speech has dono the Wednesday peoplo more harm than all opposed to them put together, certainly the Saturday movement is strengthened thereby. In justice to the Early Closing Association 1 ask you to insert this, they being excluded from the meeting. (Signed) William Beetian. Chairman Early Closing Association, (To the Editor.) Sir, —Re the Shop and Shop Assistants Bill, I am of opinion that ib is contrary to the Constitution of New Zealand, and that an appeal to the Privy Council would upset it, as an infringement of the rights and liberty of the subject. If our Conference on Friday decide upon a day on which we are to close our shops, that day must be, or should bo, observed by all, ub it will never do to spoil two days in each week. The main facts to be looked at are :— («) —The factories, warehouses, banks and offices close on Saturday afternoons. (!>)— 332 shopkeepers have signed a petition for Saturday. (c)— 8,000, nearly, of assistants and purchasers have signod for Saturday. ((?) —Tho butchers (some of them) say Saturday will suit them and be money in their pocket. Whilst tiio advocates for Wednesday are very energetic and in somo cases noisy, they aro certainly in a minority. With regard to the Bill itself, it is the most absurd composition ever put before a confiding public by any Parliament, and it is no credit either to the trainer or the Legislative Council who mutilated it so dreadfully. The only wonder is that the framer would accept it so fearfully cut to pieces and altered. Tho amendments have rendered it so objectionable that in all human probability it will cause more litigation (until it is repealed) than is good for' any country or people. Framed ontirely in the interests of shop assistants, it is so oppressive to the shopkeeper thab he is (especially in these times of depression) almost at his wits' end how to provide employment for the very assistants whom tho law is compelling, in many cases unwillingly, to assist in ruining him and his trade. There really was no need for the interference of Parliament in New Zealand, for the tendency has been and is, too much in favour of short hours and holidays, tho latter being resorted to on the flimsiest pretext whatever. The strong mutual good feeling existing in most cases between employer and employed was quite sufficient to regulate all these matters, and now the introduction of this Bill will possibly result in great numbers ot hands being thrown out of employment as a setoff to the loss sustained by the employer.— 1 am, etc, W, H. Shakespear, (To the Editor.) Sir, —Upon reading over the correspondence in your yesterday's issue advocating Saturday 1 o'clock closing, ib is remarkable how carefully the unselSsh (?) writers ssem to have avoided any reference to one of the ! principal reasons advanced why Wednesday should be chosen in preference— that those who wish for Saturday can have it through a provision in the Act, which has been secured for them bub which those who favour Wednesday do nob possess. The latter have no desire to coerce the former, why then the vehement determina-! tion of the Saturday advocates to force, if possible, their yoke upon the neck of those who have now been shown to be the majority ? and where does their vaunted unselfishness come in ? I cay the majority because, even without the 140 exempted shops, the 271 liable under the Act would be largely in excess, for by an analysis made at the time the 332 petition an-

peared, ib was found that (besides two repudiations) not; only are-many of these very same now exempted shops in Newton, Ponsonby Newmarket, and other diatricta included m that muchly-vaunted petition, but also the adjoining .road boards, and even far away North Shore. Tho same questionable veracity also applies to the foasted petition of 3.000 citizens (?), for by the ebter of •' Edenite " in a contemporary of asb week, these appear to have been largely the result ot a country and suburban canvass and for whom it can scarcely bo claimed that they havo a valid interest in the matter after the frantic efforts which were manifested to "prevent" (yes, that; was the word) exempted shopkeepers from either " voice or vote," for whatever Mr J. l. (.-.may say to palliate his action at the meeting,those presenbare in a position tosay whether or not-Ji o was fairly reported, lncre are floating rumours current, Mr ktiuor, of influences at work in the background m aid of the Saturday closing scheme whereby certain men' or companies are to reap the advantage. As this would only be in accordance with what we see so much of the wide world over, let citizens beware how they let go a privilege which, at any rate, has been,as long established as that •• School Boy's Holiday," and from which the poor kiddy wouldnotrealise mucSi recreation if he had no shop, or excursion, etc., on which to spend his coppers, so neither would " R.P,'"' if some class or other w°B not allowed, to work for his pleasure. Oh ! consistency thou art indeed a jewel." Much more might,be said, Mr Editor, but in conclusion' will only" add. what I think is now clear, that the only two courses open to tho Council are either to carry the Uednesday tickeb, or to repudiate the responsibility altogether.—l am, etc.,

Sub Rosa.

(To the Editor.)

_ Sir,—With your kind permission I will inform your correspondent "Southern Cross" that ib was A. Sanford who supported the Saturday half-holiday ab the V.M.C.A. meeting, and \\\ Sandford who advocated the reopening of the shops from 6 to 11 p.m.—a proposal that I consider to bo absurd.—l am, etc.,

Albert Sanford, sen.