The Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 706, 21 June 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 1878.

To-night will be held n meeting of the Kirly Closing Association, at «hicii his Worship the Mayor will preside, and, with a number of influential citiz ns, apeak on the subject of early closing. The question of early closing is an important ono. It may be uracil that the employes who constitute the Early Closing Assoc! - tton are interfering with the prerogative of tlutr employers in initiating a movement with the object of curtailing their hours of labor. But a glancu at such an argument will show that it 13 untenable. jThe whole question devolves up >n this I consideration—Will early rlosii.g operate ; prejudicially against shopfct-jK-rs ' It 1 might were the concession sought larger ; but one could scarcely imagine thar an hour or two on Saturday, or own an hour on every other evening, should lessen too takings of any of our business establishai.-irs unless there happened to be s->me special reason why the hour or two ai.Tir.d- :i- cl should bo devoted to business. In the present instance no such ivison is advanced. It cannot be s.v.d rh.-.t ' e *xtra hour is given in order t.> oiiit c-'U . • -eople arriving and departin" by t>. : r.t :.s, for the last trains leave t).rmj.rii at half-past four and a quarter to five. If we were told that it is in accordance with cn.-t->in for certain tradespeople to observe lute hours—to sei' their goods by gaslight, ami for people to delay I'-eir pui-chases until tin. last moment, we won!-: have but one argument to urge, and tha' , is that the system is dyii.g "U< fast. A...i | with it the tleaire of ;.m-c,...s rs to .-. ■: i Lite. «.,f eour.-v. cnip.'-J- :.;-.ve wr ro to their- eniph-y. ■> m i . ■ ■ ; v'ii-ir si: .'I h- •; ■ ■:•■:■'■■ i. -it j r.u-r.- l- aos c■■ o,r ,- ■r-mv; i>■ ■■ur: -c =. ; ■„if'i re >:t ■■ iy el •-niig mV'...i..! ■■• i j Has avlv bi-."n Rt-f o;t toot in t ).ana: M. j A few" ii.jildieious advo-i s -'I ,r'y e!o:.ing may. '"n i- 4 '-rij •.•oui"!k!.j. L' : v • iitt'-r'nt:.- to s • ■« - I ■•.-.■ '■••_<• ;:>■> u,.oii : ■'•■ n-'---- *i ' ... 1-; ".'•:•■ .n> !■■• v. • r-.:t0.-::i \- .iy a I ~,;|';i .-. [-. -'..tl •.■•Vtji eiiiiio: cl-.Mil ; . c - :v_,- . •• - .. s av- ... '-tit they mrty .--.; f->i- ii. !■■• ;:,.-Ai as. on the ground tiia; it it v."iil i.. .■mctrdly be", -tie'ri! to ernpio ,-ei--. ; I . ■ l..»ye'». it wiii, a: :'.!• events, ito j :,ue :'. ;..ier u-• iiacin, whilst it should

eui.f.:r b >th mental and physical be:»j-ii : I i>:i the latter. We are not prepared f I h. It ve that the promoters .>f the niov,nie.it that tonus the .suhj.ct of to-night's I meeting is the result of a desire •>:: die I part of its advocaLs to iuterrer.j in the least degree with the rights of masters, or to coerce them into c >mpliatieewi is the views of the A-^ocia ; <>n. Ho far as we can j"-.L;e of the p:-o.;e> diugs of the Early Closing Association up to the pros-:tt time, that body has acted in a manner that should enlist the co-opera-tion of employers in the r> f.rm that they are endeavoring t'» carry out. and the sympathy of the public. Tiv.-re is n-. undue interference in appealing to th,public to assist them to gain their point. Who else should they go to { Certainly not to the shopkeepers ; for shopkee;,-rs are as much the servants of t.. ,> public a-. assistants are the servants of their emplovers. In caliingapubiicmeetingat which the' matter can be fully discussed, tlioy have ;'im« to th.- fountain-head, li the vi rd-'ct t»f the public can be determined, and if that verdict favors the wishes of the Early Closing Association, then employers would not only lose nothing by cnrtaiiineach day's labour by an hour or <•>. but they would gain positive ud-.Mii'-.ges. Employers are just as anxious to cease their labours and get home to their families a3 are employes 'o obtain that for wnich thev are asking Worn out with mental as well as physical fatigue, if they can only see that early closing will entail no loss, they wilt, we should think, only bo too "lad to adopt the system. Then, we see but little difficulty in the way of the accomplishment of the designs of the Association. If the public are iniiueuccd in favor ; f the movement it advocates, all will be well : they will obtain what they s«-k, arid no loss will accrue to employers. But the public should not only say that they will be satisfied" to do their shoppin-r an hour or so earlier, but that they will not patronise any shopkeeper, who" in ..i-.j.r to gain an unfair advantage over his felh-ws, keeps • >:>eu trFl the last man h.-..s ei .'.vied into ins cab. If the verdict - f the public .should bo in favor of early closim-, and the > 111p!oyers. in deference to that verdict ch>stheir establishments an hour or s<> earlier in each evening, then the public should s that employers suffer no loss through the greed of the proprietors of kindled establishments who cannot stand the keenness of fair competition, and to whom the cold gloom of the night sji.-ms to be the more favorable time for the conduct of their businesses. Such men, were =t not for the liberality of these who, in the same line of business, instead of turning ! nig- -t into day by entering into pompeti- ; 'ion with them, treat them with the eoni tempt they deserve, they would not long ; be reckoned in the category of tradesmen. It is for the public to say whether, should the shopkeepers of Oamaru accede to the wishes of the Association, these mm -should there be such in Oamaru — shouil take advantage of the early closing to ptcy upon the legitimate business of those who make the concessions, and act with praiseworthy liberality. This seems to be the only difficulty ; and this is one that will sink into insignificance in the hands of the public. . _•.-._-.

The Government Ins £\t asi'le its objection .to aliow those County Councils who have not adopt-tl the Cmntie- Act to participate in the amount of 1.40,000 due to the Auckland Provincial P. L:;t, in conse-qr.-ne of obj •c::oco raised hy Messrs. Swanson, Eee-, a;,d M ..••<. M.K.K'a., the Government stating that it d-.l not wish it I t<> be understood tii.it it desired to enforce the Act. , , The Wast" L-< Is Board has reiused the application of Mr. Thoinnr; Allen for a ii .'-ise to occupy r-ecti--n 9(i. block X\l., V. ■ ;-.ik; district, for ijui. rvUrj )>u .-poses.' ihe C..-:i-i' : f of tho ' : Turf Club ; v" iif'.-t thi.« .vcuiiig, at f .< -./ clock, at the hir.pire Hou-1. . I; wr-.s decided at Ins-, night's Municipal I C-itncil meeting th. ■' the writer should be j run throuiM iilaeK i'obic auction of the Watc-woi:. : on Wed u "lay ii"xt. and tha*-. his Worship the Mayor and Council should be present, leaving Oamaru by the 'JAo train. . ,

It wis decided at Wednesday evening's meeting; of th" >.U. Kifle Association that the Champion Belt won by Mr. U. Harding at the last annual rill: contest should be ~]-, sci.f-f.l to that, gentleman at the next moi.ti iv parade, to he held on the 28th *:irt., and tha- the annual meeting of the \-Hociation should take place on the 28th Juiv. , .

'fhe following was the business transacted at the Revision Court held at Hamp.h l on the 19th inst., for the Otepopo and Monrnki Ridings, at which T. W. Parker, Esq.. K.M., presided, and Mr. Martin, Cie'rk to the County Council, was present : Mr. 0. S. Allen's application to have las name inserted on the Vol! as manager "f the Bank of New Z-alaml's property in Oi-popo was gr.-.r<ted. Mr. James Gemmills application to have his name pi iced on the mil as owner and occupier of land ;.t Mahou.i was granted. Mr. William Newiand's application to have his brother's name substituted fur his as owner of property near Maheno was g-anted. Members of the Football Club _ arc reminded that a scratch mutch will take pbee to-morrow afternoon on the old Cricket Ground. All members who wish to play in the coming matches ng : iinst Dunediu and 'i'imaru, which are now under arrangement, are requested to meet for practice tomorrow at half-past 2 o'clock sharp. A meeting of the N'r.rth Otaw Turf Club is called for this evening, at S o'clock, at the Empire Hotel.