MASTERTON.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4522, 25 November 1901, Page 3

MASTERTON.

(By Telegraph. Own Correspondent.; • Sunday, a.la p.m. Under tho factories Act, pawed last session, it is mandatory upon lactory owners to give females and hoys under 18 years ot age a weekly hall-holiday on Saturdays. Dressmakers are under this Act held to be lactory workers. The result is that they will practically have two half-holidays every week. The shops in Masterton are closed on Thursday afternoons under the Shop Assistant,' Act, and it would be nn. possible lor the proprietors to be present on that day to supervise the operations of the dressmakers without considerable ;n. convenience. Country people come to town to bo fitted for dresses when shops are open, and not when dressmakers have ft holiday on Saturday which they must do under the Act, there will he considerable inconvenience. the onlv j'cal remedy is to close the business establishments on Saturdays. Sergeant O'Malley has visited various factories to see that the Act is complied with, and it is rumoured that in more than one case the statute has been infringed. Anniversary services in connection witn the local Wesleyan Church were celebrated to-day. The Jlev W, J. Llliotl, c, Wellington, was preacher. At a meeting of directors of the \vaira_ rapa Caledonian Society yesterday, the new rulcM were adopted, and it was decided to ask the Kailway Department to run special trains from Palmerston North and Dannevirke for tho sports gathering on New Year's Day.