THE HOLIDAY TROUBLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14708, 16 June 1911, Page 6

THE HOLIDAY TROUBLE.

FINES FROM A COMMON PURSE.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —press ASSOCIATION".]

Dt/xedlv, Thursday. A largely-attended meeting of employers convened by the president of tho Chamber of Commerce was held this afternoon, to discuss tho threatened deadlock in connection with tho observance of Coronation Day and the Prince of Wales's Birthday. The following resolution was passed, and instructions given to have a copy forwarded to the Minister for Labour and various Chambers of Commerce :—" That in the event of the Minister' declining to recede from the position taken up by the Labour Department, tho Mayor be requested to declare Friday as a holiday in Dunedin in place of Thursday, on the occasion of the Coronation of His Majesty King George, and that the Government be requested to give such instructions in connection with, all Government Departments in Dunedin as will conform to this resolution."

At a meeting this evening of the various committees set up in connection, with, carrying out the Coronation celebrations tho* subject of the, holiday deadlock was revived. A telegram which had just been received from the Hon. J. A. Millar by the Ota-go Employers' Association was read to the meeting. In the course of his telegram tho Minister stated that the associations must be aware that it waa improper for the Labour Department to interfere with any award of tho Court. Coronation, Day was a day proclaimed, not by the New Zealand Government, but by the Imperial Government, and it was being observed all over the. Empire. If it was laid down as a principle that any Government Department should have the power to suspend the law, where was the lino going to he drawn? He regretted the unfortunate clash, but did not see how it could be avoided. Coronation Day was not a recurring holiday, nor could it have been foreseen that tho two days would follow one another.

A motion was put before the meeting that Coronation Day he observed on Thursday, and this was seconded. Mi*. A. Chishohn (president of the Ota go Employers' Association) strongly opposed the motion, and after a desultory discussion the Mayor (who presided) threw out a suggestion that if anyone was prosecuted for employing labour on Friday, let them pay the fine out of a common purse. The meeting agreed with the suggestion, and the president of the Employers' Association accepted it. This means that the retailor's will now. it ics to be assumed, observe Thursday as Coronation Day, but there, is still likely to be trouble through them keeping open on Friday, where such action is opposed to the provisions of the Act or arbitration awards.

AUCKLAND GROCERS TO OPEN. It has been decided that the grocers of Auckland will not close their "establishments on Thursday next, Coronation Day, but a.s yet no other tradesmen have announced their intention to keep open. All Government ofiicas will bo closed for the whole day, avid the cessation of activities will extend to all branches of the Customs Department.