WHY THIS HOLIDAY?

NZ Truth, Issue 97, 27 April 1907, Page 4

WHY THIS HOLIDAY?

Now that the Hon. T. W. , Hislop has, by a very large majority, been held to be a fit and proper person to occupy the Mayoral chair of Wellington for? the ensuitie twelve months, His Worship can, no doubt, be relied upon to explain one or two [matters without quibbling or lradr- ! splitting. We remember that on the occasion of the funeral of Mr. Soddon, muoicipal employees got a half-holiday, and a lot of these employes were carefully docked a'haif-* day's 'pay. Of course; the funeral of Mr. Seddoii cannot be. compared with the municipal and may pr.al elections. Not by a long chalk. Mutjacipal employees even the despised labourer, got a whole day off last Wednesday, and are going, or at least fondly believe that' they are going to be,' paid for that holiday. Why ? Was it because; Mayor Hislop thought that there was a danger of his Mayoral career coming' to- an end? And was that holiday .given on full pay just as a sort of gentle reminder • that the employees' votes were as good as any other persons, and that such a •good, kind holidaygiving person as the Hon. Tom ought to get their votes ?;: It looks suspicious, and no douTit many municipal employees cast , their votes m the direction of where such a favor as a holiday on full pay came from. Perhaps His Worship will explain, but; the likelihood is, he will not. Still it looks to "Truth" artd it will look to mahy others as a bit of smart electioneering. A nice sop thrown to Cerberus this is-. The holiday will cost the freelybled citizens £500, if: not more. The employees are not to blame ; good luck to them if they get a holiday on- full pay from one year's end to another. That, however, is. tiot the proper way to look at tKe 1 matter. Perhaps not the Mayor but his satellites at the Town Hall are at the bottom of it. Mayor Hislop does not know of everything that emanates from the Town Pall, and that perhaps is one of the reasons the people selected him. Mayor H^slpp will, if he has the interests of the citizens deeo down m his'big heart, at the earliest opportunity explain this holiday on full' pav racket, and tell how it happened to ; fall on election day. ■