THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVIII, Issue 13000, 16 December 1902, Page 2

THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

DEPUTATIONS AND PETITIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL. DELEGATES GIVEN A FREE HAND. The City Council was kept busy for some time last evening considering petitions and receiving deputations in respect to the halfholiday. The general interest in the subject was shown by the large attendance of the public in the strangers' gallery. The first deputation was from the- retail shop-keepsrs. Mr W. Congreve was their spokesman, and he presented a petition, signed by 294 retail shop-keepers, asking that no change should: be made from Thursday. In again urging the arguments for that day, he said that the change would deleteriou?ly affect not only the shopkeepers.' but. also their assistants, and it would not be convenient for their clients. Mr Wardell, as representing the grocers, said that Saturday was still the popular day for shopping in the city. Mr T. E.Toneycbffe, on behalf of the small drapers, said that a great injury would be done to the labouring classes and those who worked in factories, if a change was made. They would not be able to buy goods in daylight. He would not urge the matter from the point, of the shop-keepers, who would suffer considerably. Mr Davies, of Messrs Davies and Lamb, tobacconists and hairdressers, said that the change would have a very, bad effect on his business. A man could not get a shave on Friday that' would, last through Sunday. He would get a razor, and would moke a practice of shaving himself. Also, a man did not buy two cigars on one day because ho did not" smoke one the previous day. Mr A. H. Blake spoke on behalf of the master bakers, and presented a petition asking that the present arrangement should not be disturbed, and setting forth- the reasons. Mr Blake said that many of those who were asking for Saturday were .guided by selfish motives. That day miglit suit tho aristocrats of the trade, but not the workers. Another member of the deputation said that if Saturday was decided upon, a great deal of business would certainly be sent from the city to tha outlying districts. Mr J. H. Parker said the small shopkeepers agreed with those who thought it would hz unwise for the City Council to fix tho holiday. Tho shop-keepers were quite willing to have the matter submitted to a plebiscite. Mr T. Kincaid urged that the. Council should carefully consider the matter before upsetting existing ;rights. The Mayor; on the deputation withdrawing, assured it that its views wpaild receive due consideration. The butchers came on next. They- were headed by Mr F. .Steel, who said that the proposed change would.be disastrous to- the trade. He would like to see some of the Thursday agitators take up a butcher's diusiness for a few months. They would soon want to remain, open all day Thursday as well as Saturday. On Saturday, alone Ids firm turned out one ton .of small goods. They could not be made in half a day, or over night. In reply to Councillor W. E. Samuels, Mr-Steel said that certain, small goods could not be made up on Friday so as "to bs eatable on Sunday. The butchers would bo at a very great loss if they had.'to- shut on- Saturday. In reply to Councillor J. M. Taylor, he said that "only one butcher 'had cool stores. Next came the shop-assistants, led by Mr T. E. Taylor, -M.H.R., and Mr E. Gc-hns, president'of the Trades and Labour Council. They put forward the other side of the question. Mr Taylor presented the motion passed at the meeting! in the Oddfellows' Hall. He said, in regard to the butchers, that, under the Act of 1894, they, with a few other traders, need not be bound to Saturday, if was nxo< * le C° lm «k He urged- the argument that members of families could not hold holiday together at present, that shop-assistants could not take

part in sports, and that a Saturday holiday would not interfere with the volume of business doiie. Even Mr Congreve and others who supported Thursday agreed that Saturday would be 'the best day if it was universal. Perhaps bakers, like the butchers, would come under the clauses dealing with perishable goods, and would be exempt. Ha bslieved that if the Council declared for Saturday, it would fall in with the general idea, as, in a few months, he thought, Parliament would proclaim a universal Saturday holiday. Mr Gohns and another member of the deputation also went over the arguments for Saturday. . In reply to Councillor Samuels, Mr Taylor said that lie thought the butchers could claim txemption under the present Act, if they chose to do so. The fourth deputation was headed by Mm W. Reece, and represented*M-essrs Recce and Sons, Mason, Struthe.rs and Co., Whit-' combo and Tombs, the Farmers' Co-opera-tive Association, and other employers. They presented a petition, signed by 5200' persons in the city and boroughs, in favour, of Saturday. Mr Reece said that the law contemplated that the question should be gone into am nually, and the wishes of the citizens ascertained. There had been a growing feeling that Saturday would suit most people. The names on the roll were those of lai'ge business firms, but the employees were also represented on the petition, and so were other citizens. Those in favour of Saturday were willing to let the people decide. There were a few trades on which a Saturday half-holiday might be hard, and they might bo allowed to take their ■■■holiday when it suited them best. The question had a business aspect as well as a social one. and the deputation was the.ro to urge the business,aspect in the. interests of employees and customers, as .well as of themselves. Mr R. Hardie, endorsed Mr Reece's remarks, and, in reply to Councillor J. Clarke, said that there were a good number of farmers ,iu favour of Saturday. Tin's was the last of the deputations. Finally, other petitions were read from hairdressers and farmers, the latter stating that Saturday was the best day for market day. Councillor Sorenwn said this petition had been sent in to show that all farmers were not in favour of a holiday on Saturday. The Mayor said that the question had,' created much interest outside the. Council, and both sides of the question had been placed before Councillors. The discussion that had taken place at the previous meeting had been very useful. The Council, he continued, was in a position of appointing 1 seven delegates to a conference of thirteen. If it instructed its delegates to vote in a certain way,V it would decide the whole question. But it was hardly courteous to ask delegate* to attend a conference whose deoision was a foregone conclusion. If an expression of opinion was solicited from other delegates, they should be allowed to deal with the matter. That seemed to be a fair position to take up. The • Council should not make use of the majority given by the Act, in order to force the position one way or the other. In conclusion, he read the- exemption clause, providing that butchers, hairdressers and ■photographers need nob close on Saturday

if it was decided upon. Councillor C. D. Morris said that he would withdraw the- motion he had moved; at the previous meeting, that the' Council's delegates should be instructed to vote for Saturday. He had merely proposed' it ia order to obtain an expression of opinion. A habit had grown up of appointing dele- . gates who were pledged to vote one- way or. the other. It was discourteous to decide the matter, and then ask other deieigates to attend a conference. Councillor-C. M. Gray said that he also agreed with.the views of the Mayor.- He would withdraw - the amendment -he': had > moved air the previous' meeting to instruct the delegates to vote for Thursday. The withdrawals were agreed to, and Councillor Clarke then named a number of Councillors to be appointed as delegates. Councillor Gray, however, nominated the whole Council, and- a- ballot was then taken, and the following were appointed: Councillors'B. M. Taylor, G. Payling, J. T. Smith, G. Simpson, C. D. Morris; R. 'M. Macdonald and J. Clarke. ' '"""" \