THE KING'S BIRTHDAY

Otago Witness, 1 June 1910, Page 40

THE KING'S BIRTHDAY

NO CELEBRATIONS THIS YEAR.

OTTAWA, May 30. Friday will be ; observed as a bank holiday in Canada', but there will be no celebrations in view of King George's wishes. MELBOURNE, May 25. Lord Dudley has received from the Colonial Secretary (Earl Crewe) an intimation that the King desires there should be no celebration of the King's Birthday anywhere within the Empire during the current year. ADELAIDE, May 28. The Government has decided to observe the King's Birthday on June 6 and to make it a public holidav. SYDNEY, May 29. The State Government has decided that ; the King's Birthday shall not be observed as a public holidav. May 30. The Government finding that the law mnaJjes no provision for cancelling the holiday, the King's Birthday will be observed as a holiday.

QUESTION OF OBSERVANCE. (Feoji Oub Own Coeeespondent.)

WELLINGTON, May 27. King George's request that bis birthday should not this year be a public .holiday cannot be complied with in several cases owing to the Arbitration Court awards stipulating that it shall be so observed. The local Trades and Labour Council has resolved to advise all affiliated unions whose awards made provision for the King's Birthday as an award holiday to insist on the strict adherence to jfche letter of the award. It was felt by delegates that any departure would deprive workers of the qlearly-laidndown award concessions, and that in the begt Interests of all concerned the mind of Organised Labour should be made public. It is understood thai generally the employers affected will fali in with the Irishes of the labour unions, . and that tTriday, Jmne 3, will be everywhere recogfj&sed as a public holiday. Mr W. Pryor of the Federated Employers' i4SsPcia£iau) has advised affiliated hcdies

that legal advice has been obtained to the effect that where the holiday is provided for, either by statute or Arbitration Court award, it must be observed. GREYMOUTH, May 25.

The Prime Minister has received the following communication, through his Excellency the Governor, from the Secretary of State for the Colonies:—"lt is the King's pleasure that for the current year there should be no celebration of his Majesty's birthday, either here or elsewhere in the Empire." INVERCARGILL, May 50.

The Invercargill retailers have decided to observe a holiday on Friday, the King's Birthday.

In view of his Majesty the King having expressed a desire that there should be no celebration on his birthday. June 3. some doubt has existed as to whether thH day is to be observed as a holiday locally. The position is that the holiday must be observed. It is a statutory holiday .under the Factories Act, which stipulates that every boy -nder 18 years of s.nd every worn., employed in a factory must. he given a holiday on that day. Mi R. Chisholm (chairman of the retailers' section of the Association) siated to a Times reporter on Friday that June o would be observed as a holiday by retailers. In the first place it war. r, compulsory holiday under the Factories Act : in the second place, in almost every award it was included in the list of holidays; and in the third place, the retailers' section of the Employers' Aissoc-lation had decided to observe the King's Birthday and Empire Day on the one day—namely, June 3.