THE HOLIDAY FARCE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9539, 16 June 1911, Page 5

THE HOLIDAY FARCE.

MINISTER ■' FERIi.

UI'NKDIX'S VNJJAPPY' LOT

(pgn Press AsaoiiATios.l . ' DI'NEDIN, Juno 10.

, A largfly atf ended meeting of cnijrlo.yo.rs, corn ened by' the president of tho Chamber of Commerce, was heid this afternoon to dificiiss tlio'threat ened deadlock in connection with the. obforvanco of Coronation Day and Princo of Wales, Birthday. '.A,-''-.',!"-. /' Tho following. resohuion .was passed, and instructions, to Ik> given to. luivo a copy forwarded to tho inister for (Lalionr and the Various Chambers of Com-. niorcfl "That in the event, of the Ministor lieclining to recede from.the position taken ttp by (ho Labour: Department, tho ■■ Mayor be requested to dec-lave Friday a holiday in Dunediu in place of.Thursday on the occasion of th(^Cdrohatioiv. : pf hw. Majesty King George V.. and that the ..Government Iw instructions in connection with all Government Departments in.Duriedin as will con. form to this resolution." . A ' ; At a meeting this evening of the various, cotnmitioes set up .in -,<»nift;cii'o'iiy.ivith'-1 carrying oul 0? the Coronation celebrationi, tho subject of the holiday deadlock, was revi\lkL ■ 7 . A telegram whiph- lla'cl.■ ■'j 11at■ : ;lj.cen /r^;-' ceivcd from' Hon. J. ■.s.). Mill:'.!' by tho Ota fro Employers' Association was read, to tho meeting., In tho course of tho ■■telegram., tho il'inisteiVstatecL that■: tho. association mirst teawm:that;:it.was im-< I,roper for. the Labour Department- to interfere':' wiiii .any award of ■ the Court. Tlito-OorbiiatiorirDai:'was.a ed, jVot" by the New . Zealand Govenimeni. .'but';.:';'.by . the Imperial Government, and it. was being observed all over tho Empire.;.. If it was laid down as a principle that any Government Department should..have power to suspend a law, whero was the lino to be drawn.. lie regretted the. elicit, but (lid not-sec how it could be ■avoided. . Coronation Day'■ was not a recurring holiday; nor could.; it have been forseon tiiat. tho two days l would follow one another. '■.. .■ . A morion was put before (he meeting that Coronation Day bb observed on Tlmrsdav, and this was seconded. Mr Y. A. Chisholm (president of tho Otago Employers' Association) strongly opposed the motion, and after a desultory i' disfciission. : . the;... Mayor (who _ prosidod) ■■-.threw out:; a - '.suggestion that if anyono was prosecuted for employing labour 011 Friday, let them pay the fine out of a common. purse. '■. Tho meeting.- agreed ■with, tho suggestion, and the president of 'tlio 'Employers' Association accepted it. This means that the retailers will now, it is to be assumed, observe Thursday as Coronation Day, but there is still likely jo be. trouble. through their keeping open on Friday, where . such action is opposed' to the provisions of tho Act or the Arbitral ion awards.. 4:

CONFUSION CONTINUES.

DUNEDIN, June 16.

. . There is still much confusion in reference to the' Coronation celebrations owing to tho w'orkers ■ being likely to lose two days', wages if Thursday is observed by certain trades.