HOLIDAY ASSOCIATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7027, 11 June 1901, Page 2

HOLIDAY ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of the Holiday Association ;was held in the Borough Counoil Chamber this morning; : There 'was a;large< attendance of members, the Chairman, Mr Park, being in the chair. The Chairman read correspondence from Mr A. Levy, on behalf of the hairdressers, stating that they intended to observe holidays on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.—Received. The Chairman announced that he had received a petitiion signed by 76 assistants asking for two days' holiday on the .ocsasion of the Royal visit to Wellington. Mr Park said the opinion generally of the assistants was they were not dissatisfied with the actions of the Committee in the first, and they recognised that there had been a great many holidays. They felt, however, that the visit of the Duke of York was a great event, and that they should have more opportunities of being present at the loyal demonstration than was afforded by one day's holiday. He also pointed out that there would be no opportunity of seeing the Eoyal couple on the Wednesday owing to the alteration in the programme. The town would be about deserted on the Tuesday as it was a bank holiday. Mr Cohen said he did not think the requisition, though respectfully couched, carried much weight, as it was signed by all the younger assistants. The committee had always dealt fairly in the past in reference to the granting of holidays, but he would point out that they had a duty to themselves in regulating the holidays. He recognised that the present was a great occasion, and if he thought that some of the assistants would be prevented from visiting Wellington through one day being wanted, he was prepared to move that Tuesday and Wednesday be observed, though such an arrangement would cause considerable inconvenience to his firm. He moved, " That holidays be observed on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week." Mr J. Nash seconded the motion and said he agreed with what Mr Cohen had stated. The chairman expressed his pleasure at the action of Messrs Cohen and Nash, who, he pointed out, were the largest employe's in the town. He was sure their action would be appreciated by the assistants. Mr S. Thacker moved, That the cojnmittee abide by its previous decision, " That one day be observed." In doing so, he stated that nothing new had been elicited as to why two days should be observed. Mr Reed seconded the motion, stating that the butchers favored one day. Mr Randall stated the saddlers also favored one day. Messrs Nash and Cohen said they had come to fthe meeting under the impression that there was a unanimous opinion m favour of two days, but they now found the representatives of two trades advocating that the shops be only clesed on one day. They would, however, adhere to their proposition. The amendment was put and lost by 7to 6. The motion " That two days be observed" was then carried by 8 to 6. Mr Cohen said the chance of the assistants getting two days' holiday had been considerably jeopardised by some letters which had appeared in the papers on the subject. An endeavour had been made to force the Committee into granting the desired holiday. Mr Cohen also referred to the desirability of having a unanimous vote on all questions in reference to holidays. Ihe meeting then adjourned with a ] vote of thanks to the Chairman,