ROYALTY AND HOLIDAYS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12532, 20 June 1901, Page 2

ROYALTY AND HOLIDAYS.

to nm EDITOR-. Sir,—ln response to "T?ie Yontih,* will you kindly allow me to tell him that it is not the Traders" Association who- are dissatisfied' with thft almost unanimous vote of those interested, and: therefore it is no* necessary for me or anyone, efee *q take, a vote to obtain tho bare majority? We have an official (majority at present. It is for the other side, to prove themselves, strong enough or sufficiently in the right before We who are "loyal" to our Association can betray our leaders. I must remind " The Youth" t&at for him to» write amonvmcnisly andi at the* same tame to pro-, 'pose, to apply the, boycott is. a; 'sign «£ gw*t weakness «m hia 'part, a»4 wq can confix dently leave the public to judge between us. My only reason for taking up this matter at all to fight an unknown correspondent was oni account of the -■charge of cowardliness' which was made by, "The Youth," and I still do aiot s?© why,the, public should; choose to follow unknown leaders in preference; to suoh men as com« pes® the committee-, of the Retail Traders' Association.—l am, 'etc., CHARLES HY. SMITH. TO THE EDJTOK. Sir,—As there is a. difference of opinion as to What holidays should- be observed during the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York to our city, it is well tihlat the public should be put in possession of the facts. I may say here that no person regrets mora "than I do the want of harmony oh this occasion. The questions of deciding special holidays has always been more or less of a vexed question in Christchurch, and, with a view to remedying this and other mattera connected with the retailers in Ghristohurch, a meeting of retailers was called, which was largely attended, and it was 'decided! to form aRetailers' Association, embracing every retail trade in the city. Thus a Retailers' Association was formed 1 , and a committee ■was duly elected' to draft rules, etc., and to act as the wscutiv-e of tße Association. It was resolved that each trade, if possible, should have its representative onthe committee,, and! that not more than two of any trade should act on the committeo. I was elected to represent the grocers. The first holiday which we (bad to deal with after our election was May 24, the late Queen's birthday, and, as yo"u are aware, we recommended "that _ it should be observed ae a close holiday, which was loyally adhered to. N«xt came the holidays to be observed in comnection with our Royal visitor's. The committee met to consider and dtecide what days should be observed. I will ask you now to remember that wo had to consider the interests of the whole of the retailers of the city, and not any particular section. After much discussion and oaraful consideration (to which I am sure every member gave his best and honest decision) it was proposed, seconded, and carried unanimously, 'that the retailers should be asked to close at 11 a.m. on Saturday, and rc-ope» after the ceremony of laying the foundation stone until 9 p.m., and ailso that Monday, June 24, should ba a whole holiday. But a day or two after this decision the committee were called together again by_ their president, who had received a requisition signed by thirteen or fourteen traders, asking the committee to re-consider its decision, in favour of'granting the whole of Saturday and Monday as holidays: Before going to this meeting I took the trouble to communicate with several of the grocers in the city, including Messrs Ward'eU Bros., and, Co., F. A. Cook andi T. H. Papps, to obtain their views on the matter, afi, being their representative, I considered! i should b_3 acquainted with their views, and that it was my duty to carry out their wishes as far as possible. Not one- of them, I think, that I spoke to were in favour of making the Saturday a whole holiday. On the contrary, some of them were very strongly against it, and said on no consideration would they consent to close the whole of Saturday, and they generally (approved! of the action of the committee. Of course, in the face of this, there was no course open to me but *o carry owt the wishes of those I represented. Behold my surpme, when a few hours after, a list was put bofore me from a representative of the other side of those willing to close on Saturoky and Monday with the names of Messrs Warden Bros, and Co., F. A. Cook and T H Papps; gentlemieni whom I had consulted preview to the meeting, and whose wishes I hadi carried out aA the Association. In favour of Messrs Wardell Bros, and Co., I should ear they were more indifferent than the others about opening on Saturday, but were quite agreeable to the previous resolution- of the committee I must now leave it with your readers to decide who era the disloyalists, ete., as I am afraid I have trespassed too far on yow? valuable space \ June 20. to inn EDrroß. ■ H . Sir,—Your correspondent " Fair Play is evidently one who hais the interest of aU workers at heart, and.l for one sincerely thank him.' No class of employees are half so hard worked as those of hotels, and no class get less thanks or less pay for their cervices. I don't tihink " Fair Play has gone far enough. One should have two hours at night to see the illuminations. Would the publio object to the bars being closed at, say, nine o'clock? What do you think, and what will the proh/ibitioniete say? Do give us your help,—l am, etc., y BABMAID,