THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15899, 23 April 1915, Page 9

THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

WEDNESDAY AGITATION.

SHOPKEEPERS COMBINE.

AMENDED LAW WANTED.

Anon thirty shopkeepers attended a meeting yesterday morning at the Masonic Hall, Belgium Street, to discuss the recent petition to the City Council, asking for a.poll on the half-holiday question, with tho object of altering tho day from Saturday to Wednesday. Mr. Alf. Moore, chairman of the committee which organised the petition— was rejected on the grounds that it did not contain the requisite- number of valid signaturesstated that the comparatively small attendance did not indicate apathy on tho part of tradespeople in sympathy with tho Wednesday movement, but that the business of many prevented them from attend ing.

Reviewing the efforts of the committee to obtain a poll the chairman said tho failure to obtain it had come as a great surprise, and was very disappointing. Notwithstanding all that had been published, the City Council staff's check, and the recheck by the town clerk, he was quite positive the petition did contain the requisite number of valid signatures. Unfortunately the law was faulty. Ho was sure it was never contemplated that the duty of deciding in these matters should devolvo upon one man, but that the whole council should decide. Shopkeepers of Wellington, Dunedin, and Wanganui were anxious that the Wednesday movement should be made a national one, and that every effort should be made to obtain fresh legislation as to the half-holiday. The committee suggested that an association should be formed to fight the question.

After some discussion, during which the dithculties experienced in checking names on the petition and tracing tho sigiiaters were emphasised, those present lormed themselves into an association, to be called the Wednesday Half-holiday Defence League. It was agreed to make a levy of Is per week on shopkepers in sympathy with the Wednesday movement,' and to take tho necessary steps to obtain the desired amended legislation. In reply to a question, the chairman explained that canvassers had originally been employed in obtaining signatures to the petition at. 12s 6d per 100. They had, however, relinquished tho work after two or three days. Then the petition had to be put on the streets, and irregularities commenced. There was no doubt a great many signatures were put on which appeared to be in the same handwriting. Whether'that was an act of the "enemy" or not ho could not say. Several names were'added to the committee, which was given power to add to its numbers.

CITY COUNCIL'S ATTITUDE. WHY POLL WAS REFUSED. At last night's meeting of the City Council the Finance Committee reported having conferred with the promoters of the petition, and having afforded them every facility for checking the work of tho office and proving the petition to contain tho requisite number of signatures. The town clerk's report was | communicated to the promoters, and a further opportunity was offered to them to establish the petition in terms of the law, but they did not proceed further in the matter, as the time before the date of the poll would not suffice to enable them to do this.

In view of the town clerk's report, the committee had no option but to decide that the petition did not contain tho number of signatures required, and that the poll should not proceed. Amongst the correspondence received was a letter from the Saturday Half, holiday Association disapproving of the acceptance of the Wednesday halfholiday petition. The grounds given were that "the majority of the signatures are invalid." It was asked that a statutory declaration should be presented as to the bona-fides of the signatures.