STATUTORY HALF-HOLIDAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9720, 16 January 1895, Page 6

STATUTORY HALF-HOLIDAY.

MEETING OF EMPLOYERS,

Yesterday morning, in the lecture hall of the Y.M.C.A., a meeting of employers of shop assistants was held to consider the day most suitable for the weekly halfholiday. The gathering was called, in the first instance, by the committee formed to promote the selection of Wednesday; but the Early Closing Association also invited shopkeepers who were in favour of the Saturday half-holiday to attend, "in order to prevent shopkeepers who are exempt from the provisions of the Act having any voice or vote in the matter." Two opposing forces were thus brought together. The proceedings as a consequence were not by any means unanimous. The Mayor (Mr. J. J. Holland) presided at the meeting. There were plenty of seats not utilised in the two or three seats nearest the platform, but the other portions of the hall were crowded. Amongst those present were Mr. Tregear (secretary of the Labour Department), the Hon. W. Jennings, etc The Mayor having briefly opened the proceedings, Mr. Smeeton, after referring to the gathering as a representative one, went on_ to say that the Act, as it stood, was a bad ? one. It had been said that it would make no difference, in the long run, as to which day was kept, but retail traders knew how hard it was to work up a connection, and how easily that connection could be destroyed. They had to consider what was best for the public and all concerned. He moved, " 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 half-holiday, on the following grounds :—l. 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 close on the day that admittedly the most business is done, is most unjust. 2. That provision is made in the Act for those i so desirous to close on Saturday, but the Act does not accord a similar privilege to those desiring to close on Wednesday. 3. 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 speaker then went on to point out how unfairly the Act would work. For instance, in the Great North Road one side would have to close, while on the other the shop?, being in a highway district, could be kept open. A portion of Kyber Pass Road was in Epsom; thus, the shops there could remain open, while those in the Newmarket and city portions of the road would have to close. He mentioned that 140 people exempted from the Act would close on Wednesday, if that day were selected, but would not do so on Saturday. Mr. Burton, in seconding the proposition, pointed out that the interests of employers and employed must be identical. If there was not mutual consideration there man be suffering. On Wednesday there was comparatively little business, it being the middle of the week, while on Saturday they expected to do double trade. If it could be shown that Saturday was the better day he would accept it; bat at that time he thought Wednesday was the better. Mr. Shakespeare said it had been his intention to move that those who had been exempted from the Act had no right to take any pare in the meeting. (Applause and cries of " no" and " ridiculous").

The Mayor asked that each speaker should be allowed to express his views. Mr. Shakespeare went on to say that 330 shopkeepers and 8000 people had signed for Saturday. A Wednesday half-holiday would leave she assistants unfit for work on Thursday morning. (Laughter and Oh !) New Zealand, he thought, had no need for a statutory holiday, but he protested against Wednesday being selected. Mr. Joxes contended the only possible solution of the difficulty was to adopt Wednesday, for there were so many exemptions if the day was Saturday. He had been surprised that any sane man should have accepted such absurd amendments as had Mr. Reeves. Three-fourths of the people could get exempted. Mr. J. «'ll,mork said that nine-tenths of the business people in Parnell were in farour of Wednesday. A Saturday half-holiday meant working late on Friday night. Impartial men he said should have been selected for the conference, and he condemned the action of the Parnell Council in selecting Mr. Pollard, who was, the speaker said, an a vowed advocate of Saturday. (Oh !) As it was a very large number of people were deprived of their Sundays, and if Saturday was selected for the half-holiday it would be worse, for steamboats, etc., would be laid on from Saturday afternoon to late on Sunday night. Mr. J. T. Gakuck would like a resolution passed drawing attention to the great bungling characteristic of the Act. The Early Closing Association, he thought, had made a great mistake in calling a previous meeting. The question of the day for the holiday, was an employers' question ; the assistants having gained their halfholiday should have stopped there. He was in favour of Saturday, but would give way to the majority if it was a fair one.

Mr. E. J. Carr said many of the signatories to the Saturday petition were not citizens, but boys and girls, who had been told they would lose their football, and that sort of thing, if Wednesday were selected. The shopkeepers were the peopls most interested. Many of them had taken leases thinking they would have six d4ys' business. Now they found they were to lose l-12th, and the best l-12th of the time for which they had agreed. He distinctly favoured Wednesday. Mr. G. Fowlds advocated Saturday, and said the Early Closing Association had not attempted to force any day upon the employers. Mr. Hassan said that many who bad signed in favour of Saturday had not known there were to be exemptions. Mr. Moody, as " a butcher, spoke in favour of Saturday. Meat, he said, was brought in on Friday night, and women could easily get into the habit of shopping a little earlier in the day. The Mayor, in putting the proposition, asked only those affected by the Act to vote.

Mr. Garlick asked for a show of hands of those who claimed exemption. They could then ascertain what proportion of such were present, though he admitted they certainly had a right to vote. There was considerable interruption at this stage. Order having been restored the proposition was put and declared carried.

On the motion of Mr. Hannan, seconded by Mr. J. GiLMOfiK, it was decided to present the foregoing resolution to the City Council, and to the joint conference meeting l on the 18th inst., a. deputation to fulfil this task being appointed as follows :— Messrs. Batkin, Ambury, Smeeton, Burton, Gilnaore, Crawford, May, Hooker, French, Finch, and Jones, with power to add to their number.

Other matters of detail in connection with the motion were discussed, and the proceedings closed with a vote of thanks to the Mayor.

[BY telegraph.—press association.]

Ddnedin, Tuesday. A conference of delegates from the city and suburban councils, convened in terms of the Shops and Shop Assistants Act, for the settlement of the day upon which the weekly half-holiday shall be observed, was held to-night. It was moved that Thursday be the day selacted, but an amendment fixing Wednesday was accepted and carried unanimously. Saturday was not even suggested. Ckristchcbch, Tuesday. The Lyttelton Borough Council decided upon Thursday as the day for the halfholiday. A meagrely attended public meeting at Lin wood recommended Saturday, and passed a motion that the Shop and Shop Assistants Act should be amended to provide for the day being fixed by the vote of all adults.