LABOUR DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 253, 24 October 1936, Page 10

LABOUR DAY.

HOLIDAY IN CITY. ORIGINALLY "8-HOUR DAY." COLONIAL CELEBRATIONS.

As Dominion Day, similarly constituted, celebrated the establishment of New Zealand as a self-governing branch of the British Empire, so Labour Day, which is to be celebrated on Monday, marks this country as one of those ..which have led the world in the improvement of industrial conditions. Originally it was "Eight Hour Day," and celebrated the big industrial advance that was made when the hours of work were reduced originally from ten and more to the standard eight: Then, by the Labour Day Act, introduced by the Seddon Liberal Government, its name was changed and it was set down as a public holiday, which is now observed, under the Public Holidays Act of 1910, on the fourth Monday in October each year. It would require an Act of Parliament to change its constitution. There will be many still living who will remember the original eight-hour movement with its slogan— Eight hours' work. Eight hours' play, Eight houra' sleep, Eight bob a day. They will remember, too, that in the 'nineties it was celebrated with a huge procession, and with a sports picnic at the Domain. Those celebrations were introduced by the first eight hour day committee, under the chairmanship of the late Rev. Shirley Baker, ex-Prime Minister of Tonga, who had been deported from Tonga because of ' his political activities. Later, owing to the expense involved, the procession was eliminated, and from then until now the celebration of the day has consisted chiefly of a sports meeting at the Domain and other sporting events. A Labour leader in Auckland Recalled this morning that even when the 48hour week was introduced the name "Eight Hour Day" was a misnomer. Actually 8J hours was the- rule. In Auckland a 47-hour week was the rule, the workers finishing at 4 o'clock on Saturday instead of 5 o'clock as in other New Zealand centres. They were paid for 48 hours. Later a 44-hour week bccame the rule, and the present Labour Government has introduced the 40-hour week principle. The day is still celebrated in Australia as "Eight Hour Day." / BUSY RAILWAYS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DUNEDIX, this day. As a result of the 40-liour week leaving large numbers free on Saturdays, record numbers left town last night and to-day to spend the Labour Day week-end elsewhere. Last night trains carried 1070 and to-day 1930, these loadings being the heaviest ever experienced.