AN ELECTION HOLIDAY.

Evening Post, Volume XLI, Issue 139, 15 June 1891, Page 2

AN ELECTION HOLIDAY.

j make it a greater nuisance and disturber , than ever. The provision is a most nonsensical one as it stands. Ifor instance, why should the fact that elections are gojng on oimultanoously iii different districts, although an eleetar <?ah I ) only vote in one, demand a holitf &y fUI OVOr the colony when no holidky is provided for in the casft-of ft Selection in any particular distncl.- If electors possoHsing different qualifications wero permitted to vote in several districts, there might bo wmo roxnon for providing a holiday to onivble them to travel about for that purpose, but such a coui-ho is ontiroly opposed to the poliej 8f the Bill, whioh limits each rt»tt to ft ajttglo i vote. It is quite afcpjfd io e6ntend that a public holiday is necessary in order ,toi r ab J v ™y *^6tor tiirio to re'coVA nfi Mo. The hoars of polling- a B Vj6n\p?r«><J with tho . hours hi labour, ar> quite *ulu(jient to enable ; evfcry VslecWr r&fdiflg within a reasonable • I d'.Sfutfco. 6< a polling place to record his . j vot*. If they aro not, then let tfco t ' hours be extended, and more polling places bo provided. In country districts, whoro alone any difficulty in reaching a polling place on a working day could arise, public holidays are very littlo rcgardod, and as there is no penalty attached to non-observ-anco in this case, the provision would be a doad letter in thorn. A great deal too many people generally observo an election day now as a holiday, spending it in loftflng round ■ publio houses or haunting tho approaches to tho polling booths in tho Capacity of touts. i Tho clause ttndor notice would mean intensifying this annoyance, aud be clintirictly coni trary to tho interests of Kibrtafcy and ordor, unless, indeed, another provision wore in- ■ serted absolutely closing all licensed houses from tho commencement of the poll until a i certain Umo after the ttnnpnHiHMift&t ol its rosult. This is dftD.fr, fcti believe, in nianv States ih AmoricA, but wo doubt whether the pubßo would submit to tho enactment • of su'oh a provision here. Tho enforcement . of a public holiday on election day would be very unjust to ono class of people, tho I employers of labour subject to the provisions of tho Factory Acts. They would bo obliged to close their premises and pay all their employes their day's wages. Sir John Hall's Female Franchiso Bill is, wo fear, scarcely likely to become law before , tho next general election takes place, and until it does it is difficult to soo why the occurrence of an oloction should necessitate a holiday for all the fomalo operatives in the colony. Wo hopo it is not iutendod that thoy should dovoto thomsolvos on that day to the dnty of canvassing or touting. It would be difficult to resist tEo blandishments of a bevy of fair damsels around tho polling booths. . Wo doubt if the provision in iho Dill as it j stands would compel ordinary employers of labour to pay wagos for the holiday. Certainly mon employed at por diem would have to take their holiday at their own expense^ So wo oxpeot would a good Many Otllot classes ; and we aro inclined fa question whothor [ thoy wonld consider this much of a privilege AHogothor, wo think tho clauso is a very •nnwiso ono, and quite uncalled for. It is to bo hoped it will bo snmmarily doalt with ! whon it comes boforo tho Houso.