THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14981, 29 April 1909, Page 7

THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

THE POLL IN CHRISTCHURCH

THURSDAY SELECTED

A VERY LARGE MAJORITY

It was mainly owing to the importation of the half-holiday question into the municipal elections that the voting yesterday was bo hoary. The agitation for the change of the holiday to Saturday resulted in a strenuous fight being made, the supporters of both Saturday and Thursday sparing no pains to secure victory. It was expected jihat tho vote would be very close, but the result of .the polling yesterday was a signal victory for the Thursday supporters, and tho city holiday will remain unchanged. The Saturday advocates had men posted outside the booths, wearing placards inscribed, '' Vote for Saturday," and busily engaged in finding the names and numbers of voters.- The voters were conveyed to the polls in motors, cabs and all manner of vehicles, and vigilant scouts were posted at vantage points to catch the lazy householder.

In the afternoon opinions as to the result of the poll were as varied as they were freely expressed. Both sides were confident of success, but several persons interviewed by a reporter expressed the opinion that tho old order of things was quite good enough. The now well-worn arguments were to be heard on all hands. One vehement lady told a group of friends that "it would certingly be 'ard on the small shopkeepers, what has to get rid of meat on Sat'd'y night so it won't get bad," and that "there must be some feeling shown for the girls who might be put out of work, and didn't want no football or such, and why such ' inviduous' change* were made I can't fathom," and near all the booths could be seen groups of people who seem to find a good many holidays during the week, and who heatedly debated the why and wherefore of all things and anything. The polling was heavy, 8915 valid votes being cast. A few votes were cast in favour of the four almost unconsidered days of the week, but probably they were bom of a peculiar senso of humour more than seriousness, and as the results were posted up last evening the addition of one or two votes to Monday,. Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday was greeted with ironical cheers, and no one seemed to take the polling for those days with any seriousness. . The interest shown in the fortunes of tho two much-discussed days was keen, though the larger percentage of the three thousand people before the result-board seemed to favour the Thursday. But long before the posting of the final returns tho issue was placed beyond doubt, and when the grand totals were shown the waiting people and they knew that Thursday had been carried by. a majority of 2400, there were- a -few flat cheers and a little spiritless applause. There was no excitement, and the waiting populace dismissed the claims of both days, and waited anxiously for the results of the other contests. , Tho following are the figures showing

Seventy-six informal votes were cast. THE LYTTELTON POLL. THURSDAY CHOSEN. A very vigorous campaign was carried out in Lyttelton by a section of the people who were anxious to secure Saturday half-Boliday, and for weeks past the town had been freely labelled with tickets and specimen voting-papers, urging the support of Saturday. The poll proved, however, that popular feeling was in 'the main in the same direction as that of the popular representatives who'had previously had the choosing of tho holiday, and Thursday was favoured by a majority of 78 over Saturday. A number of votes were rocorded for other days, and informally, and the total number of votes recorded was 814. The voting was as follows: Monday .... 2 Tuesday .... 1 Wednesday . . .6 Thursday . ( . .425 Friday . . . 1 Saturday . . . 347 . Informal ... . .32 WOOLSTON. The electors of Woolston showed considerable interest in the question of the half-holiday, and the polling was substantial. As in other cases the contost was between Thursday and Saturday, the other four days of the week finding in all nine supporters in a poll of 791. Thursday was favoured by a majority of nearly two to one, the voting being as follows:—Monday 0, Tuesday 5, Wednesday 2, Thursday 481, Friday 2, Saturday 276, informal 25. THURSDAY IN ASHBURTON. [Fnoit Ovn Correspondent.] ASHBURTON, April 28. A good deal of interest centred in the poll taken in the combined district of Ashburton to-day to fix the day on which the statutory half-holi-day shall be observed. The combined district includes the Borough of Ashburton and the Town Board districts of Tinwald and Hampstead. There were about 1500 qualified voters and 670 recorded their votes. The result of the poll is as follows:—Monday 2. Tuesday 1, Wednesday 3, Thursday 489, Friday 0, Saturday 175; majority for Thursday 314. The half-holiday has been observed on Thursday. '» FEILDING. The poll taken on the half-holiday question resulted in Wednesday being chosen by a largo majority over Saturday. NELSON. Tho half holiday poll resulted in favour of Wednesday by a majority of 388 over Saturday. WANGANUI. Thursday was retained as the day on which the half-holiday should be observed by 1770 votes against 664. DUNEDIN. The poll of electors in the combined district, taken at Dunedin yesterday on the half-holiday question, resulted in favour of Wednesday by a large majority. Votes were recorded as follows:—For Monday 22, Tuesday 11, Wednesday 5750. Thursday 24, Friday 9, Saturday 3697. . _ .

the voting at tko vario us booths: ;— Polling Booths. M. T.W. T. F. S. Central Waid— Provincial Council Chambers 1 1 o fiS7 0 301 St Michael's School — 3 4 • 424 1 175 Caledonian Hall 1 3 2 476 — 184 Foresters' Hall — 3 3 404 — 192 Methodist 'Schoolroom, Richmond 1 1 1 128 — 03 Linwood 'Ward— Bolleston St. Hall 1 — 1 110 — 80 Linwood Council Chambers — 1 2 447 1 26G Social Hall, Church Street — 2 2 315 1 200 Rt Albans Ward— Wesleyan Schoolroom, Rugby St. — 2 — 441 — 287 Knightstown Publio Library — 2 1 258' — 184 Methodist Schoolroom, Madras St. 1 — 1 363 1 214 Sydenham Ward — Tramway Board's ' Yard — — — 116 — 69 Sydenham Library ; .1 1 1 279 1 202 Sydenham Football f Club's, Boom 2 2 3 527 —i 302 Oddfellows' Hall, Selwyn Street 1 1 2 324 — 218 Waltham Library . _ 2 1 211 — 126 Peek's Store — ■ — ■ — 1151 102 Totals 9 24 26 5625 6 8225