THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 805, 21 January 1903, Page 3

THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

At the Borough Council last night the first business was to deal with the special subject of the half-holiday. The Mayor moved that Thursday afternoon be again adopted. There were advocates of Saturday, and at one time he himself was one, but experience had proved that Thursday was the most suitable, especially to retailers. In any case they had not received any objection to Thursday. Or Harding seconded the motion, considering that Thursday bad proved the most satisfactory. Cr Hepburn said he did not believo in Thursday as the best day, but he was not going to oppose it. Or Whinray : You had better not. (Laughter.) Continuing, Cr Hepburn held that there was not so much in Thursday as the day. Ho thought Saturday the better day, and that there should not bo two sets of holidays in the week. Cr Jones said that the people had declared in favor of Thursday, and the Council must abido by it. But the Council might go as far as to advise the holiday committee that when these half-holidays were mado they did not intend to make it a hard and and fast rule that when there was anything on the time should be restricted to 1 p.m., which meant that hands did not get away in some cases until nearly two. Lately the committee I had been more reasonable. Cr Bright agreed that there was a good deal in wbat Cr Jones had said, but they must remember that the committee waa quite an irresponsible body and had no power to compol anyone to do anything. If he though it advisable to close it would have nothing to do with that committee. Cr Whinray contended that there was altogether too much holiday. There was too much play, and he never saw the like of it. When he was at Home they only had one holiday, Christmas. The Mayor : Whit Week.' Cr Whinray : It is getting to be all play. The Mayor said he did not think they could make a change in the day; they had to consider tho country people as well as retailers. As for the Holiday Committee they dealt with each application on its merits, and it was necessary for them to use discretion. They could not use com. pulsion, and it was open to Cr Jones or anyone to offer himself for election on the new Committee. The motion was oarried,

By Telegraph—Press Association. Mastorton, last night. Tho Borough Council this ovoning decided that the weekly half-holiday shall bo observed on Thursday in Masterton. This has been a much debated question here, many employees favoring a change to Saturday.