PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14983, 2 June 1914, Page 2

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.

OBSERVANCE ON MONDAY

SOME LOCAL VIEWS.

A few years ago a strong agitation

was organised throughout New Zealand by various interested parties to secure what was known as tho "Mondayizing" of holidays which did not fall upon that day. This was in imitation of the movement in Victoria, which had achieved a certain amount of success. In consequence of that j agitation, a measure was introduced '■ I lto Parliament waich granted the .oacession in respect of both Labour Day and Dominion Day. The nieasuie as originally brought down proposed that the King's Birthday should also ba observed on a subsequent Mou_ay when it-fell on any otner day. but i-ins proposal was moai_ed in cointn.'tiee to permitting the holiday to be ob-st-i'ved on a Monday when tne correct Jate chanced to be a Sunday. Tne proposal that when Dublic holidays fall on week-days other than __oniay they should be observed on tho ie_t following Monday was revived at the last quarterly meeting of tho Chamber of Commerce when, on the notion of-Mr J. 0. Jameson, a motion was carried suggesting tlixtt that course -ou!d bo adopted. Yesterday a Press' representative interviewed a lumber of local people interested, to cc what tljey thought of the proposiian. Ve:y early in the investigation t was discovered that a remedy could >c effected only by legislative action, •uite apart from the operations of the 'übli- Holi-bys Act of 1910 the granting of the holiday is governed in a * eat number of eases by awards of „he Arbitration Court. In the Can-M-bury district there are nearly 70 wards which grant the King's Birthay as a holiday, so that there oould be o question of a tacit agreement heween employer and employee to ob*rvo the next following Monday. In '■ose circumstances the enquiry could nly be directed towards the academic uestion of thc general advisability of aplacing a mid-week holiday by an ob•rvanco of the next Monday. A strong . supporter of the change vas found in M.- Cyrus Williams, of tho yttolton Harbour Board. "A mid•sek holiday," he declared "upsets ■verythin*.;. In a big business you <aye a fixed day for the operation ol he various branches of yonr business, nd important matters are generally •xed for tho middle of the -week. A Yd-week holiday interferes very drasically with such arrangements, and Toils the whole week from the general •isiness point of view. A Monday oliday disturbs things Jess than a holiay upon any other day, and t is now being generally adopted in Australia. Both from the •mp.oyers' point of view and the emloyees' point of view a Monday holiday s an advantage. An Act of Parliament could surely be devised to make he necessary alterations. Even in the :ase of a King's birthday, the postnnement would do no harm even from .he eentimehtal reason. If it falls ipon a Sunday, our loyalty has to be' :o-tponod to the next day, and no arm is done." Another supporter of the change was Vand in Mr D. Main, president of the rjrocers' Association. He said he hougkt tbo change would bo advantageous, and would in no way affect the retail trade. It would give the employees a longer-week-end, and that •vonld in every way be appreciated. From the point of view of Labour. >Ir H.. Hunter welcomed the principle >f "Mondayi_in£" holidays.' "I have io objection to holidays being observed >n the Monday," he said. "In the interests of all parties, it wonld be an advantage. .So far as the Sovereign's birthday is concerned, we are at present bound, because the awards give ns that as a public holiday, and make no provision for our taking it upon a Monday, except when it falls upon a "-unday. A long week-end such as is afforded by a holiday-on a Monday is a benefit to both employer and employee, as it gives tHe "chance of a cng-r spell." Other people Nconcerned in the grocery and butchery trades were inclined to agree.that a Monday observance of a holiday was preferable to °? e "I tlie f n,ddle of the week. None thought that the difficulty of securing strpphes.to last .from Saturday mid-da*, to Tuesday morning was an insuperable one