HALF-HOLIDAY DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 120, 13 February 1908, Page 6

HALF-HOLIDAY DISPUTE.

A WANGAXUI DEPUTATION. , ' Recentlyja poll.was,taken:in Wangaiiui to decide the weekly half-holiday, and the majority'' rote wont in favour';of "Saturday: as against tlie' present . day, which is Thursday. ■ Yesterday a • deputation' of Wanganui busi- . ncss nien interviewed _tlie Minister for Labour '(the Hon. 'J; A. Millar) to point' out that the' poll was illegal,' and consequently the. decision'arrived'at. was informal. ' Mr. A. D. AVillis, ex-M.Hit., represented ■that the poll, had been-unnecessarily rushed,, and insufficient: notice was given.- ■ The com- . bined district included' Eastbrook and Gonyillo, ■ but the . poll had been taken really only, in Vanganui, The members of the Borough Council had been divided in tlieir opinion,; and- the .Mayor had 'given, his casting vote iin favour of; the-matter' being 1 referred/to .the Minister: Since the poll had : been declared informal, it now remained for the- Minister .to . fix the day. ; Tho matter, howover,' should be left over .'for- twelve months and then a poll should; be taken. Petitions containing thu v signatures ' of 1080 Wanganui shopkeepers: and 208 sigiia-turos-of residents,of suburbs■ were presented, by Mr. Lloyd-Jones :jn, favour of. a Thursday half-holiday. . Mr. .Lloyd-Jones also argued that the > recentpoll • had Uuen illegal, and " said. t}iat jthe proposed alteration in the . day would mean, a loss iii trado to lrialiy shopkeepers. ;In regard to vthe recent poll, a number of people 'who would probably; have declared in ravoUr of Thursday had refrained .■from voting, knowing' the-proceedings to bo informal. ••'■'''• .. -The jiinister promised to give 'the matter . careful consideration: At present the local authority eould fix tho holiday. 1 The recent poll had apparently been, taken only to give tho Council some indication Vof the genera! desire of the; townspeople.' A valid pol' couH bo upset only by another such declarathe wish,of the majority. He would obtain-full information, and if he found that a majority desired Saturday lie-would fee it his duty; to declare that day tho holiday. If, however, Thursday was desired, he.wouj' proclaim accordingly.