CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 December 1921, Page 4

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS.

PROVISION FOR EXTRA DAY. the Position of workers. By Telegraph. Pre*’ Association Wellington, Last Night. In the House last night the Hon. W. D. Stewart moved the second reading of the Public Holidays Amendment Bill. He explained that owing to Christmas Day falling on a Sunday this year it was thought necessary to legislate on the subject, as had been done in 1910, when a similar set of circumstances came about. On. this occasion they did not propose to interfere with Christmas Day—that would be observed on the Sunday—but it was proposed to declare the following Monday and Tuesday public holidays, on which people might observe the festivities usually observed at that time of the year. Mr. T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South) said the Bill might detrimentally affect workers, inasmuch as the awards of hte Arbitra tion Court might be interfered with. He instanced the case of tea rooms, in which employees would be entitled to double pay if they worked on Monday, but under this Bill they would not be entitled to double pay. The Premier said it looked a very simple thing to declare that Sunday should be Christmas Day, Monday Boxing Day, and Tuesday a general holiday, but it was not so simple as it looked. He admitted there might be cases of hardship, such as mentioned by the member for Dunedin South, but there was a gr.eat mass of people to be considered, and he ’felt sure the Bill met their convenience. He suggested that the Bill might be read a second time and referred to the Labor Bills Committee, . where difficulties could be reviewed and met. The Minister was desirous of doing the right thing. Mr. J. S. Dickson (Parnell) said thousands of workers would be affected if the Bill was passed unamended. He favored the Bill going to the Labor Bills Committee, so that it could be amended, and so that the wages given to workers by the Arbitration Court should not be taken away from them. Sir John Luke (Wellington North) said that if the Bill was sent to the Labor Bills Committee it would receive a sympathetic reception. No one wanted to deprive the workers of either a holiday or wages. Mr. Holland said no doubt the amendment contained in the Bill was required, but he thought it unnecessary to refer the Bill to a committee. It could be amended in the House, so as to protect workers, and then it might be allowed to The Bill was read a second time and referred to the Labor Bills Committee.