SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY.

Evening Star, Issue 14572, 22 May 1911, Page 6

SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY.

I TO THU EDITOR. I Sir,—No wonder your correspondent, I Mr D. Nicol, was astonished at some j of the* shopkeepers of Sydney howling I out about the Saturday half-holiday I being a failure, for, as he says, ‘‘they I have not had time to tell yet.” In Melbourne, where it has been in force ! for just on two years, experience of i the change from Wednesday has proved completely satisfactory. After a similar trial Sydney’s experience will in all probability prove to he the same. I was in Melbourne when the successful i movement for the Saturday half-holi* j day originated. The first to move in 1 the matter was the Shop Assistants’ I Union. They battled away gamely for 1 a time, but being hampered by j lack of funds and that incxplici able deadly apathy which shop I assistants the world over exhibit ! in. connection with all movements I for their benefit, not much proj gross was made till a number of the suburban shopkt-epers took a hand, and in a little while a petition containing the signatures of over 4,000 shopkeepers (not assistants), praying for the Saturday half-holiday, was pro sentod to Parliament. The action of the shopkeepers stimulated the shop assistants, and they enlisted the, help of the clergy, Trades Hall, and a number of M.P.s also some others, of whom 1 may mention Mr Maxwell, K.C. This gentleman especially was a tower of strength, and did a lot towards the success of the movement. A number of the clergy were also very sympathetic and the City Central Mission gave us one of their Sunday afternoons. I remember one of the speakers (a clergyman) saying that if lie wore a shop assistant, and had to work till ten on Saturday nigbf, ho would not go to church on Sunday morning. We had a splendidly enthusiastic, crowded meeting in the City Town Hall (among the speakers being Mr Mauger. late Post-master-General). and unanimous resolutions in favor of the Saturday half-holi-day were carried. What little opposition arose was speedily overwhelmed, and Parliament gave the Saturday twelve, months’ trial. 1 have been away from Melbourne over two years, but I am told the Saturday half-holiday has come there to stay. A friend of mine who is in business there figures the result out this way; Friday now is quite equal to the former Saturday, Saturday morning is belter than Wednesday used to be, while. Wednesday now is one of the best days of the week, and lie is convinced the change is for the bettor, apart from the fact that it does away with the broken week nuisance of work rooms closed on Saturday and the shop closed on Wednesday. Also he finds that they can now get a decent class trf lads as apprentices, while under the old system it was almost impossible to get any—the boys simply would not work on Saturday afternoon. Now, sir. that which was done in Melbourne can bo done in Dunedin— if the shop assistants want the Saturday half-holiday they can get it. There are plenty of shopkeepers who would gladlv assist them, and I doubt if they would find much open opposition. Lot them get to work before the next election, enlist the same class of assistance as wc had in Mcdbourno, and their success is assured. I am aware that in a number of the trades the assistants have no union, but if they combine for this object alone it may lie the means of a permanent union being formed : but I am afraid of that inexplicable deadly apathy which I mentioned before I almost forgot to mention that in Melbourne over 80 per cent, of all classes of factories and workshops, etc., arranged to pay wages on or before Tlmrs,lt,. ( 0 assist the Saturday movement. — I am, etc., W.S.K.