HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 170, 11 April 1908, Page 5

HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION.

INTERESTING DISCUSSION. . 7 (BT TKI.EOUiI'U—SrECIAT, COREESrOKDEtrr.I Christchuroli, April 10. - At the meeting of the shop assistants held last night in support of, the Saturday halfholiday movement, Mr. T. E. Taylor, arguing favour of the -change from Thursday, said an objection had been made that the Saturday country trade would be diverted to tho country stores, but that would happen only if the country stores were to lay iy'stocks that would compete with the city stocks, nnd that would not be likely. It had been urged that Saturday was the farmers' day, but as a matter of fact Wcd 7 nesday was the farmers'. day, and the average farmer did not carry much out of town with him on a Saturday afternoon. Ho had been assured also that the farmers as a clas3 wore in favour of tho proposal. Any dislocation in business involved would be adjusted in the courso of a few weeks, and no injury would bo caused to anybody. He believod that the time was 'not far distant when tho work of tho Dominion could be dono more effectively in five days weekly than in five days and a half, and the question then would bo on what, day in the week should a full holiday bo observed. Even if it wore found that the change was working an injur}', tho Saturday would continue for only two years, and could then bo replaced by another day. A feature of tho meeting was that tho speakers woro nearly all politicians—Messrs. Ell, Tanner, and Gray, M.P.'s, Hon. John Barr, M.L.C., Mr. T. E. Taylor, and a member of tho City Council, who is a carpenter by trado. Tho point was noted by tho onci opponent of tho change, who had the eourago to say what ho thought. This gentleman, a prominent .butcher, said that with ono exception no , speaker had had fivo minutes' experience of Saturday trading. All retailers would say that Saturday v was worth all the other days put together, nnd tho assistants who wanted the. Saturday should start business for themselves nnd see how they got on for twelve months. Ho guaranteed that that would change their opinions.