CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 15 December 1920, Page 4

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS

(To the Editor.) Sir, —I am very pleased to see "Fair Play's" letter in this evening's issue, and hasten to assure him of support. He asks for an abler pen to take the matter up, but my pen declines that responsibility. At the same time it is glad of an opportunity to voice an opinion. The Retailers' Association no doubt are a fine body of men, but what do tney associate for? To consider their own ends apparently, and frame rules and regulations to benefit themselves. Are not the assistants worthy of consideration? I don't think there is an assistant in Hawera who would expect the usual Wednesday before Christmas, but what will be gained by keeping open the two following "Wednesdays, more particularly the one after New Year. It makes one wonder what is the object. Is it on account of the large and floating population of this town that it pays them to keep open, or is it that their business is in need of every penny to keep it afloat? It makes me feel sarcastic, Mr Editor, but I really think their decision most 1 inconsiderate and selfish. Supposing , assistants turned round and refused to work after 9 o'clock on Christmas Eve; supposing we form a union and have something to say in the matter. Our worthy Mayor at the meeting held some time back re the Saturday halfholiday suggested that we have the usual Wednesday, whatever holidays came before or after. And rightly so; life is snort and uncertain enough. I thank you for your valuable space, sir, and trust you will be the medium of benefiting those concerned.—l am, etc., COUNTER JUMPER. (To the Mtor.) | Sir, —Your correspondent -'Fair l Play" in your issue of last evening has come forward and openly taken to ; task the Retailers' Association for i their having passed their grossly un- ' fair ruling at their last meeting, viz., • to keep open for the three Wednesday afternoons during Christmas and New Year holidays. Mr Gilbert is reported to have said "that it was a very hard matter to decide," the very next paragraph being a diametrically '■; opposite sentiment, "it was unani- ; mously decided." This, as "Fait Play" states, is causing a lot of irritation and ill-feeling among shop employees in the retail trade here in Hawera, and as a proclaimed holiday ! means to us nothing more or less than a half-cfay, having always to work our ; Wednesday statutory half-holiday, .the j only course open is to form an Em- ,' ployees' Association. Happily we cannot place all our Hawera retailers ii the seat of judgment, for, as "Fail , Play" infers, it is only one or twc . who cannot reason with a long per- ' spective that are the cause of this I undercurrent of dissatisfaction. Saturday is the chosen half-day for some I business houses, yet why is it that daj 1 is never interfered with? If, as fai as the Act concerning Wednesday goes it is so open that "one could wall through it," it is certainly a show oi small heartedness to take advantage of it. Not many meetings ago it wai then decided that the merits of tht holiday would be taken into consideration before taking our Wednesday holi day from us. Here then, sir, I con tend, is the best instance of all for th< Association to redeem their resolution for is not the Christmas season on( when relatives visit their kin, an evem perhaps occurring once a year, perhaps not that, and would not it be, as yoi mu«t agree, sir, rather hard to be'de prived of what littTe time is theirs anc y^s hy having a paltry half-holiday niched from you and working at higj pressure and long hours info the' oar gain. Goodness 6*s*y knows laboui troubles are gigantic enough all ovei the face of the globe, and pin-pricking of this sort does not tend to keen pui little town of Hawera apart. Thanking you, sir.—l am, etc., SATURDAY. [Pa being interviewed in referenct to the decision to keep the shops oper. on the three Wednesdays during the holidays, Mr Gilbert, president of tin Retailers' Association, said that this decision had the unanimous support oi the Association, and they would iiavt to abide by it. Last year they gave the shop assistants a holiday from Christmas Eve to the Monday morning, including the Saturday, whici was given as an act of grace. This year Christmas Day falls on d Saturday, and an extra day would mean a much greater loss and inconvenience than last year. Mr Gilbert pointed out that for three years at least the shops had beeti closing on Wednesdays at 12 o'clock instead of 1 o'clock, ana in the evenings at 5.30, -when they were entitled to keep open till 6 o'clock. He would not say that this had been done wholly for the benefit of the assistants, but they certainly gained by this. • Further, there had been a number of special holidays during the year for which no deduction from wages had been made. Mr Gilbert further stated that the running expenses, which at present were very high, remained the same whether the shops were open or closed, and in view of the difficult time through which tradespeople had been passing it was hardly fair ■when an opportunity came along to dp a little extra business to ask them to close their shops. ' Personally he was not unfavourable to the granting of an extra day at New Year, but he could not say what view the Association would take. As for Wednesdays'lie was quite opposed to closing.] '