SATURDAY HALFHOLIDAY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16193, 20 March 1913, Page 5

SATURDAY HALFHOLIDAY.

QUESTION OF A POLL.

A CAMPAIGN INSTITUTED,

A meeting, largely attended by local business men, and employees of various firms, was held at the Young Men’s Christian Association building last night to discuss the question of the institution of a general Saturday halfholiday. The Mayor, Mr H. Holland, presided. The chairman, in his opening remarks, said tiiat the meecing had arisen out of a requisition vvnicn Uie master Saaaiers’ hacl forwarded to cue City Council, us King tiiat a puoiic meeting should tie caiieu, with a view to getting ten per cent of the municipal electors to sign a requisition in tavour of a poll-being taken on tne question, a necessary preliminary to the tailing of a poll by the Council The secretary, Mr C. W. Hervey, read letters expressing sympathy witn the proposal for a Saturday lialf-lioli-day from Messrs Milner and Thompson, Messrs Lewis and Anderson, Messrs Jb'. Hobbs and Co., and Mr H. Hunter, secretary of the Drivers’ Union. Mr E\ W. Relph, manager of the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association, said that he had always been in favour of the Saturdayi halfholiday. He quoted figures to show that its institution did not necessarily mean a diminution in the takings of a business. The firm he represented, he said, had closed on Saturday afternoon for the past six months. On the institution of tho Saturday closing it had been thought that the grocery department would be the one that would suffer most. But it had been found that the average takings in this department on Saturday mornings since the inception of tho half-holiday on that I day had been 77 per cent of the averj age takings for the whole of Saturday I under the old regime. Moreover, it ! had been found that the total takings of the business during the last six I months were greater than the total takings during’any similar period when I the Thursday half-holiday was the rule. | He did not believe in a late night, and | never had believed in it. But it was [ contended by many people, and. with a good show of reason, that a late night was a necessity, since people who were working all day had no opportunity of ‘making purchases except on such a night. Various speakers referred to the fact that a Saturday half-holiday, coming, as it did, just before Sunday, would be more valuable as a period of rest and recreation than a holiday on Thursday, with work again on Friday. One speaker said that there was one argument, involving the morality of the young people, to be considered in connection with the Saturday halfholiday. At present, the town was filled on Saturday nights with boys and girls from fourteen years of ago upward, parading about, and he considered that such a state, of affairs could not be good for their morality. Several speakers complained of .tho fact- that movements in tho direction of obtaining a universal Saturday halfholiday in the past had been defeated largely through the opposition of those who were already enjoying a holiday on that day.' The chairman said that the poll would have to bo taken on the same day as the municipal elections, and this would not give those desirous of taking a poll much time to work in. Tho j requisition, signori by ten per cent of 3 the electors, would require to bo pre- jj

sented to the Council by March 31. Ten per cent of the electors would represent about 5000. He had received a Gazette notice that day to the effect that the boroughs of Spreydon and Riccarton had been combinod with the district of Christchurch for municipal purposes of this description, and these would therefore be included in the poll. The desirability of a universal Saturday half-holiday was unanimously • affirmed.

It was decided ‘that those present should form a committee, with power to add to its number, and that the work of the committee should be to push forward the movement, and to get signatures to the requisition asking lor a poll. An executive, consisting of Messrs H. Oakley, H. C. Harrison. .T. Walker, W. H. Denton. E. W. Reloh, G. Batley. G. R. Rich. A. W. Jamieson, R. T. Cowper, J. Reid and G. Dobbs, was appointed. The majority of those present accented forms on which to obtain the signatures of tho-e in favour of a noli. At the close of the gen°ral meeting, the executing met to consider details.