LABOUR DAY

Evening Star, Issue 23718, 28 October 1940, Page 7

LABOUR DAY

MARRED BY INCLEMENT WEATHER ITS POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE Once again Labour Dav has come round, and once again it has brought with it a modicum or squally weather for Dunedin, while in several districts throughout the country heavy rain has been general. Falling on a Monday, and one of the few holidays before the Christmas vacation, Labour Day provides a long week-end for toilers in the cities, and most people make haste to get away from town to some favourite rendezvous, camping, if possible. Falling in one of the most unsettled months of the year, Labour Day often turns out to be anything but an ideal one for out-of-door activities, and today has been no exception. The morning dawned beautifully fine, a cloudless blue sky and a brilliant sun greeting early risers. However, this early promise of an ideal day was short-lived. The calmness was broken by a boisterous nor’-west gale for about half an hour, to be followed by a lull, and then a swing to the south-west, and with it a very appreciable drop in temperature. Squalls of rain and hail followed. Early,- campers were on the roads, and with the weather forecast indicating the change to the south, those on holiday bent turned northwards, hoping they might get in a good day before the storm eventually reached them.?, Not for many months has so much traffic been seen over Mount Cargill, streams of cars getting out of town; and' not all of them bore racegoers to Oamaru, for numbers of them were loaded with camping equipment. Labour Day has its own particular significance. It celebrates the' universal introduction throughout the Dominion, of the eight-hour-day, a prime mover in this direction being the late Mr S D. Parnell, of Auckland, and for some time following its institution, speeches, processions, and sports were held in celebration. However, since just prior to the last war, the political significance of the day has been lost, and very few ipeople, while appreciating the let-up from the routine of daily work, know anything of the day’s origin , Originally, as set out in the Labour Day Act 1889, it was directed that Labour Dav bo held on the second M ednesday of ‘October, and this rule was observed until 1910, when the fourth Monday of the month was substituted. If an eight-hour-day was not made statute law until 1899, it was a general thing for some time prior to that date. Indeed, as far back as 1849 in Otago a move was made to limit the time ox workmen and labourers to eight hours. Apparently William Fox* the General Agent, New Zealand Company, Wellington, liad been communicated with on the subject, for records of those early times give the following:— “ January 24. 1894: Reply received from William Fox. Esq., General Agent of New Zealand Company, refusing to grant the petition of workmen and labourers of Otago to limit the time of work to eight hours, and to raise wages above 3s a da v; reason—their brethren in Wellington Wrought longer hours and received onlv 2s 6d.” . However, this rebuff notwithstanding the same record states that on February 21. 1849, the eight hours system of labour was established. HEAVY RAIN AT AUCKLAND An Auckland Piess Association message states that heavy rain spoilt Labour Day. From yesterday forenoon onwards the weather became cloudy, with northerly winds, which increased in force during the night This morning liodit scattered showers Fell, and at midday heavy rain set in. Practically all sporting events, except trotting, were postponed.