THE CORONATION HOLIDAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12415, 26 July 1902, Page 6

THE CORONATION HOLIDAY

as the has decided to pro* claim Saturday, tlie oth August, as a public holiday throughout the colony in honour of tho Covoimiion of the King, it may be assumed that tho celebrations in connection, yitli tlio event will be held ou that day, There is no legal-obstacle, so far as we know, to the local observance of the liolidny on some other date, if the 9th August should be regarded as an inconvenient or unsuitable day .for the celebrations, and, as our retuleis <ii'e aware, we have advocated tijv tho holiday in Dunedin should be held oil Monday, tlie 11th pros. But it.is* probable. that to adopt that course now would, in view of the Government declaration ou tbe subject, lead to qiiiti: a partial observance of a most inemoiable occasion. The decision of tho Government means, of course, chat tho State departments will hold tlieii hojiijny onY the Saturday. But it' means more than that. It means that tn>> Volunteers, whose participation in ilit? ceremonies . constitutes aft important feature in the programme tor the day lu Dunedin, w'iil be paraded oi.- the-Satin-day. Under the circumstances tbe local authorities will, we think, have iio alternative but to hold the celebrations on the aptual date or tlie Coronation. To do so will undoubtedly prove very inconvenient to a large, number or people, while the shopkeepers, who rely to a great extent iipon their Saturday j trade for their profits, will be involved jin somo' loss. On the other baud, .wt» I cannot ignore the circumstance that/ if the holiday were observed on the .Monday, another and very considerable-Sec-tion of the community would suffer loss: wo refer to factory employees, who aw nop paid for the holidays they receive, and who are, we have reason to belieye, in favour of Saturday rather thau Monday as the holiday. If it were pos'sible to nrrive at a definite answer to it, the question to be considered in the tettifment of the flay upon which tlie/ iooftl celebrations shall be held should be tlie question as to which of the two prgposed "dates, the Saturday or the Monday, presents the greater advantages or the fewer disadvantages. But unfortunately that- is a question that cnunofc be positively, answered one, way or the other. The local. authorities must look elsewhere for guidance in the mutter; find it seems to us that the decision 'pF the Government practically settles the matter for tjiero. If the holiday weie not generally observed by us on the 9th prox., anil the local ceremonies', were, held on the lltli, we should have two celebrations, neither of which would probably be adequate, and the community, which should be unanimous in honouring tlio occasion of the Coronation of his Majesty, -would be divided. The Retailers' Association, which has expressed n strong opinion as to the inadvisability of holding the celebrations on the'Satuiday, will, we trust, see the force of this and recognise the necessity of falling in with a decision that there is but little chance of having altered.