EARLY CLOSING.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7528, 18 April 1890, Page 6

EARLY CLOSING.

TO THE EDITOR Of THX PRESS. Sm,—lt may be all very well for Messrs Perceval and Reeves, with an eye to a general election, to appear amongst the agitators for early closing. It may suit certain reverend gentlemen to do the name. It does not, however, salt the working classes, and, if I am not mistaken, the first-named individuals will find that they have taken an unpopular step. Popularity hunting is a thing working men can see through in the long run. As a working man, whose whole time is occupied in getting my living, how am I to do shopping before six o'clock? How can ray wife do so, her day being taken up in working for wages to ada to our small means ? The tradesmen we have to bay from do not deliver our purchases at our home, as in done by those who supply the people I have mentioned above as selfelected champions of working people. Take a ballot of all wage-earuers not employed in shops, and you will soon see the value they set on philanthropy chat costs its professors nothing.—Yours, &c, A Workiko Mak. Knightstown, April 17th.

TO THE EDIT-R OP THE PRESS. Sir, —What has Christehurch done, how has she offended, that she is to be visited by such an overwhelming amount of cant, humbug and hypocrisy as she Is at this moment called upon to endure. For the spiritual benefit of the rising generation the shopkeepers are to close their shup., whether the proprietor likes or not. He i. to pay rent, at the old enormous rate, he is to pay local taxes, and to pay the salaries of his employees, to meet his mer chants* bills on the dreaded fourth, and, bad as trade is—taking little or no money during the day—he is to be debarred from trying to recover his lost gains by keeping his shop ODen In the evening—he may not do so, even if he is himself atteuding to it. For mark, assuredly if he does so, the mob—the larrikin element—set loose upon him, without police protection. Witness the case of Mr C. M. Gray and others. But this is Christian charity, brotherly love! it is tbe main feature of the new socialistic teaching of the age. Its advocates are falsely talking about the necessity for releaslag young women from the bondage of the shops at not later than six o'clock in the evening, and yet we know that, in almost every respectable shop in the town they are and have long been released from work at this hour. If these saintly people are in earnest, why don't they attack the publichouse ? Why not look after the unfortunate barmaid, who enters on her duties at nine o'clock, and always before ten o'clock _,_.., and remains there till eleven p.m.—and sometimes later—and who has then to walk home, subjected not unfrequently to the insolence of some semi-drunken savage who has been laying in wait for her. Fourteen hours 1 think of this, Mawworm. They are, it is true, graciously permitted intervals for refreshmentwhile the Act (see Licensing Act, sec. 126) prohibits their being employed more than ten hours.

It is self evident the movement is not for the young females—who then is It for P The young men (aye most truly says a reverend gentleman, young men whom we want to bring to God). Sir, this is truly monstrous. Look at what is doing on around us. I read an advertisement in the paper a few days since proclaiming that at a certain suburban public house on a seabeach there wa. to be "A night of dancing." At another that the beautiful grounds adjoining the licensed house would be thrown open, and that the dancing and music would be under able direction. These places were thronged, treble banked tram cars as full as they could hold rushing to the places, their occupants, flashily dressed young girls and showy shopmen. But a reverend gentleman asks, well what Of that? Are these hard worked, pure minded creatures to be deprived of innocent enjoyment. Is that gentleman ignorant of the wicked ways of the world? Let him seek information where it can be obtained.

Then there comes the Rev. Thomas Flavell, with his very novel idea of Saturday evening entertainments for "recreative occupation for many who might otherwise spend their time in a less desirable manner." Has the Rev. Thomas forgotten that some twenty-five years ago we inaugurated a series of popular entertainments in Christehurch, vulgarly known as '** Penny Readings?" and most successfully too—that he followed our lead on the West Coast? Has he forgotten, or did he never know, that they were given up solely because of the interference of the cant of that age—whose professors, to use a vulgar metaphor—"shoved their oars in where they were not wanted." and insisted upon the "readings and "music" being more intellectual I and *' goody- goody. Is that to be the case again? If this sort of evening's amusement is to be revived —and I for one don't object—let us be careful Of our leaders. They should be set to work £u.t in all the suburban districts, and nob in the towns. These young people are for the most part not resident in Christehurch, and it is not desirable to cause large numbers cf them to congregate in the city at night. The object of such gatherings should be to bring people together for friendly associations, for neighborly acquaintance, and _or mutual help. But if the reverend gentlemen are to be our leaders, I for one will cry out, " save mc from my friends."—Yours, Sec, CONS_a_ENC_.