ANNIVERSARY DAY HOLIDAY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12963, 16 November 1907, Page 8

ANNIVERSARY DAY HOLIDAY.

With all tlio desire on the part of the commercial community for a limitation of public holidays and some definite arrangement as to which ere to be celebrated, there is evidently a strong feeling against-the abolition of Anniversary Bay, as recommended by the Holidays Committee of the Chamber or Commerce, in favour of one day to bo observed throughout iNow Zealand as Dominion Day. The Government is understood to have some intention ot readjusting the matter of general holidays, but tho only definite point in tho Premier's recont statement on tho subject is that ho does not mean to increaso tho number of holidays. Thero is certainly, as several business men

pointed out to our representative yesterday, sorao ground for objection to tho present system of each province celebrating its anniversary on a different day. A merchant in Auckland or Inveroargill cannot bo blamed if he forgets that December 16th, an. ordinary day of the week to him, is Anniversary Dny in Canterbury and a close holiday, and ho may be excused for a feeling of resentment when he receives no replies to business telegrams sent to Cbristchurch firms on that day. The samo thine; applies to Christchurch business men as regards the anniversary holidays in Auckland, or Wellington, or Duncdin. Something might bo done to obviate the inconvenience thus caused if the Press Association agent in each centre observing its anniversary were to notify the date a few days previously. This would servo aa an intimation to commercial men tMt they could do no business with that town on that particular day. and the present inconvenience would largely disappear.

Aiter all, even the claims of business do not wholly override the influence of sentiment, and we can heartily sympathise with, those older colonists who, without any wish to keep alive the spirit of provincialism, still desire to preserve the memory of tho foundation of Canterbury by retaining Anniversary Day as a general holiday. It is probably inevitable that at some future time the anniversaries will cease to have any meaning with the public, but so long as tho pioneer settlers are still among us, we are too near to the historic date of their landing to let it pass into oblivion. If Dominion Day is to bo observed annually, we do not think Mr Charters's proposal that it should bo celebrated on tho King's Birthday, already a general holiday, can bo bettered, and wo commend the suggestion to the Government's consideration. ' As for other holidays, the Prince of Wales's Birthday can very well be merged in Empire Day. No arrangement, however, will be satisfactory that does not bring the Government offices, the banks, the industrial workers, and the general public into line. It is ridiculous that in Ri little community like Chrletohurch, the banks und the Customs Offico should be closed while merchants and manufacturers are at work, and the

first requisite of a. satisfactory system is uniformity. *