THE WEEKLY HALF-HOLIDAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9719, 15 January 1895, Page 5

THE WEEKLY HALF-HOLIDAY.

TO-DAY'S PUBLIC MEETING IN Y.M.C.A.

There is considerable division of opinion among shopkeepers to whether Saturday or Wednesday afternoon should be chosen as the weekly half-holiday, according as their interests are personally affected by the change. The Early Closing Association favour Saturday afternoon, as do also the bulk of the employees. The tradesmen in Queenstreet, and the loading thoroughfares adjoining, are for the most part in favour of Saturday, while the Karangahape Road tradesmen favour Wednesday, owing to Saturday being their best day's trade. Petitions in favour of Wednesday, and counter petitions for Saturday, are in course of signature, and these will in due course be put before the conference of delegates, which will be held in the Council Chambers, on Friday next, at noon, in order to decide the day. The outcome of the agitation in the Karangahape Road districtis, that a meeting of all shopkeepers in thab road and adjacent boroughs affected by the Shops and Shop Assistants Bill is convened to be held this forenoon, at eleven o'clock, in the Lecture Hall of the Young Men's Christian Association Rooms, to promote Wednesday as the statutory half-holiday. The meeting has been convened by Mr. H. M. Batkin, chairman of committee, and his Worship the Mayor will preside. The members of the City Council and the delegates appointed from the several boroughs have been invited to attend the meeting. Petitions will be placed before the meeting, showing that 271 bona fide shopkeepers who come under the Act are in favour of Wednesday, while a second petition will also be put before the meeting, signed by 138 shopkeepers, who although exempt under the Act, will also close on Wednesday. Those who have signed this latter petition, ib is pointed out by the committee, of which Mr. Batkin is chairman, need not close on any day. The heading of the petition favouring Wednesday, and which 271 shopkeepers have signed, reads as follows:—

That 'we, having for the most part hitherto observed Wednesday as the most generally convenient day for that purpose, hereby respectfully protest against a change to Saturday, as being prejudicial to the best interests of both employers and employees, on account of the large number of shops exempt under the Act, and the consequent loss to those who employ labour. And, moreover, we desire respectfully to submit to your Honourable Conference that, should Wednesday be the day decided upon, many of those who are now exempt would be prepared to act with the majority and close on Wednesday, but they could not bear the loss entailed by closing on Saturday. And your petitioners would also more especially point out that, if Wednesday be the day appointed no compulsion will thereby be laid upon those who have hitherto observed Saturday as the day, they having the power according to the Act (see section 10) to continue to close on Saturday, while a similar privilege is not accorded to those who have prefered in the past to close on Wednesday.

The following resolutions will be proposed ab tho meeting :—

"That as, under the Shop and Shop Assistants Act, the duty of fixing the statutory half-holiday devolves upon a local Conference (a provision of which we approve), this meeting therefore respectfully requests the Conference to fix Wednesday as the halfholiday, on the following grounds :— "1. The omission of highway districts contiguous to cities and boroughs from the operation of the Act, and the numerous exemptions, prevent any day that may be chosen from being a complete holiday, therefore to compel a portion of shopkeepers to clone on the day when admittedly the most business is done, is most unjust. " 2. That provision is made in the Act for those so desirous to close on Saturday, but the Act does not accord a similar privilege to those desiring to close on Wednesday. " That, as shown by the petition signed by exempted shopkeepers, a large number will observe Wednesday if fixed as the day, thus making the day a more complete holiday, affording all an agreeable relaxation from business, with a minimum of inconvenience to the community."

The hon. secretary of the Early Closing' Association requests all shopkeepers employing hands who come under the Act, and who signed the petition in favour of Saturday half-holiday to attend today's meeting. He states that 332 shopkeepers in Queen street and the suburbs have signed for Saturday. A correspondent forwards the following communication on the subject:—

Last night two tradesmen analysed the list claimed by the Early Closing Association to represent 332 tradesmen in favour of Saturday. This list, it must be remembered, was obtained to send to the Legislative Council, asking them to affirm the principle of "Saturday as the day for the half-holiday, giving local bodies power to set apart any other day which may be more suitable for their special districts," so that strictly it should not be called, as now it is claimed to be, an agreement to close on Saturday, especially as the conditions have changed owing to the numerous exemptions. The following is the analysis :—Residing out of the district—Eden Terrace and Mount Eden 9, Devouport 11; shops known as exempt, 24 ; known Saturday closers who can still continue to do so, 46: known to prefer Wednesday, 45: total, 135—Leaving 107, some of whom, under the present Act, are known to be lukewarm on the Saturday closing. It was noticed that only one baker had signed the list. A petition signed by householder* in favour of Saturday, will be presented to the conference of delegates on Friday, and is said to contain over 7000 signatures. The heading of the petition is as follows :— We, the undersigned citizens of Auckland and suburbs, respectfully ask you to take into consideration the propriety of making Saturday the half-holiday, as the great mass of the people enjoy that day, ana the consensus of opinion, as far as can be obtained by public meeting, etc., is that Saturday is the day best suited to the Auckland public. {BY TELEGRAPH.— PKKS3 ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Monday. The Public Works Committee of the ('ity Council tonight decided to instruct their delegates to the conference next week to support Wednesday as the half-holiday. The question has caused a good deal of interest lately, the Thorndon end of the city favouring Saturday, and Te Aro Wednesday. The latter day will probably be the day selected. Christchcrch, Monday. The City Council has instructed its delegates to the conference of local bodies to select the day for the weekly half-holiday to vote for Thursday as the most suitable day.