Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY, JULY 13, 1912. LABOR DAY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12814, 13 July 1912, Page 4

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY, JULY 13, 1912. LABOR DAY.

Labor Day is yet a good distance off, but opportunity should be taken thus early to enquire whether Gisborne can be spared the inconvenience likely to be caused through tlie clashing of this fixture with the annual carnival of show and races. It will be remembered that last year an alteration was made m the observance of Labor Day, which hitherto had been fixed for a date m August, but Parliament, on representations, no doubt, from those intei'ested, changed the time for the holding of this statutory holiday to the third Monday m October. Unfortunately, so far as Gisborne is concerned, this falls on the first day of Show week — the great carnival season of the year— and whilst it may be considered by some that another day of holiday 7 makmg is ' neither here nor there, m actual practice the cessation of work on Monday must causo great inconvenience to all' concerned. Last year when the innovation was introduced the' Trades and Labor Council very considerately* postponed their festivities m observance of Labor Day to a later date, but the attitude assumed by the Labor Department was that so far as the statutory provisions of the law were concerned these could not be varied ; therefore all young persons who were entitled to rest and recreation on the Monday had to have it, though some arrangement-' was come to by mutual consent, under which, m the case of awards, the observance of the holiday was deferred. We need hardly point out that' the closing down of labor on the day preceding the Show is liajble to prove a serious handicap to the success of that undertaking^ In connection with the staging of exhibits and arrangement of provision for feeding and entertaining' the nrultitudes who. assemble at the/Park on Tuesday and 'Wednesday, (much labor has to be performed m the way of 'carting, carpentry, baking, etc., and it would be decidedly impracticable for this to be done m the previous week..' Then m connection with our carnival there is exceptional traffic to be liandled by those engaged m shipping. Many visitors 1 arrive from outside ; much 'luggage and paraphernalia has to be handled, including, often, the extensive effects of a theatrical company. The observance of the Monday preceding our Show Day as i Labor Day at, Auckland and Wellington i means that the boats run late, owing , to the inability to work cargo at these , ports, and a late departure from Auck- »■ land or Wellington means a late arrival at Gisborne, and consequent upsetting of arrangements . for the enjoyment of the. people. This aspect of the matter has' been represented to the, Labor,' Department by the local manager of the /Union . Steamship Company, who, m a com- . munication to the Inspector of Awards, , pointed out that host year's alteration, of . date acted very detrimentally so far as Gisborne was concerned. "The .company were not only inconvenienced-- by the local arrangejnents, but suffered from the effect of tlie celebrations elsewhere. This being a strict Labor holiday no > work is done on the Monday, ancl as a - result the usual departure of the steamer ' from Auckland* on Tuesdays is seriously interfered with. Last year she had an ppera company on board to open on the Wednesday night m connection with 1 the show and races. Owing to Labor Day at Auckland extreme manipulation, was necessary m order to get her down . m time. Had the least adverse weather been experienced all the efforts would have been nullified. As it was she only anchored after 5 p.m. and tho company and their paraphernalia had to be got ashore for opening at 8 p.m.. This was managed, but only owing to extreme effort and 'favorable circumstances, m addition to much pre-arrangement. The instance quoted is only one which era- . phasises the awkwardness of the situation. The matter was represented to the late Prime Minister by the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce some months ago, but apparently ndthing ha^s.. been done, for m a reply sent to the manager of the Union Company by the Secretary for Labor it is stated :— "So far as this Department is concerned its duty is to administer the law, whether m the case of statutes oi\ awards, and with regard to the former there can be no variation^ or ! change allowed, such as transferring the observance of any of the factory holidays to any of the other days, but m the caie of awards where all the parties concerned, viz., the union and the employers, mutually agree to .transfer a holiday,' the Department has hot interfered iii any way. So far as the alteration of the 1 date of* Labor Day is concerned, that is, a matter for Parliament to deal ; with, and I am therefore forwarding a copy of your letter to the Minister of Labor." In view of the change m the administra- . tion of the Labor Department which has just been effected, it appears to us highly desirable that some conceited effort should be made to represent the ' facts of the position as strongly as possible, to Mr Massey. We are stire that the Trades and Labor Council would be only too willing to fall into line wjtJi the Chamber of Commerce, or wnatever other organisation may take the matter , up, as it must be obvious to all its members that Labor Day as at present ap- . pointed falls on a most inconvenient date, and is liable to seriously militate i against the success of the local, show carnival. . \