SUNDAY IN FRANCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10957, 27 April 1907, Page 6 (Supplement)

SUNDAY IN FRANCE.

THE WEEKLY DAY OF REST.

The Times Paris correspondent says : — The law on the weekly day of rest, the application of which has during the last few months seriously disturbed business of all kinds throughout the country, ha* suddenly become a grave embarrassment for. the Cabinet, even if it does riot lead to a conflict between the Government an.! the majority. The obstacles that have arisen m the application of the law were not anticipated by the Legislature. . The -law, which provides that the weekly day of rest is to fall on Sunday, except m cases where that would interfere with the interests of those affected, expressly provides for certain departures from ► h's rule. These exemptions are m harmony with the statements made m Parliament by the promoters of the law, to the effect that it was not intended to interfere m any way with the requirements of commerce nor to change the aspect of Sunday throughout France. The numerous refusals m Paris and the provinces of the demands for exemption mades by a certain class of shopkeepers have done great damage to trade. For those m particuar whose principal: customers are drawn from the working and lower middle classes Sunday was their best' day. Those shopkeepers asked to be allowed to remain open on Sunday and to introduce a system of rotation whereby each of their employes -would have one free day m the course .of the week. The refusal to permit this has led to a conflict, followed by the punishment of a numher of shopkeepers for disobedience to the law. The result has been great indignation against the so-called laws of social reform, even among members of this class who formerly professed very advanced ideas and regarded M. Jaure's as a demigod. Some of them will pot now hear of Socialism, and would perhaps, vote for the Nationalists if there were a general election to-morrow. The argument of the shopkeepers is that the weekly day of rest hv equivalent to 52 dayß' leave m the course of the year. They are prepared to. grant that leave to their employes-and workpeople m the way best suited to their interests,: If placed under the absolute obligation: of giving one day of rest a"; week, they ask. to choose those 24 hours at their own ? convenience. The ' Deputies and Senators, who had not forese_n all those objections, now recognise v that the law was .too hastily 'prepared and that, m any case, it has caused too great a disturbance m the habits of the people. They now demand a regulation and extension of the exemptions. It is proposed that the system of rotation tolerated m the case of hotels, cafes, restaurants, bakeries, pork and_ ham y shops, etc;, should be extended to all those shopkeepers whose business would be ruined by Sunday closing. There h. also _ another question to be settled— namely, whethar the employers are bound to pay for the weekly day of rest. Certain employers who only wished to pay for the six days of actual work were obliged, by the Courts to pay for the whole seven. This is also a point upon which the law needs to be more explicit. -.-. •' The Republican majority h .resolved to break with., the- Socialists/ whose imperativje .attitude 'has become for theni intolerable. It remains to be seeri whether the preseut Cabinet will decide to dispense with the Socialist vote.