THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13947, 30 April 1909, Page 2

THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

POSITION AT CHRISTQHURCH.

Per Press Association. ' CHRISTCHURCH, April 29. Mr A. F. Carey, one of the managing committee in connection with the Thursday half-holiday, when asked by a newspaper representative to express on behalf of the committee his opinions on yesterday's poll, said that from the point of view of the retailers, and he belived also from that of the community generally, the result was most gratifying, assuming the correctness of the statement made by a Saturday supporter to the effect that there are 3000 shop assistants in the city, and also that the Greater proportion were in. favour of aturday. - . The result of the combined roll showed that a little over five hundred of the general public supported the end of the week for the half-holiday. The committee knew, howeTer, that large proportion of the shop assistants did not favonr Saturday. "We reckoned from the start," continued Mr. Carey, "when it was -estimated that 5000 voters in the city were in favour of Thursday, that we could carry th» poll. There was, -we\ believed, an underlying feeling throughout the contest that the submission of the issue to the popular vote was an unwarranted interference with business, an interference that was rosented by public and employers alike.I was approached by one of, tbe officers of the Saturday, organisation yesterday that the two organisations should combine and work for, a universal Thursday half-holiday. . "I want to say that if that is ,to be cosidered an official suggestion, «P«f*ing for myself, andl think I voice tho feeling of retailers generally,. I afli absolutely against interfering with 'the arrangements of other employers. 1 would 'regard it ss the height of impertinence on our part to mte>*ere with the arrangements of ether employers in the same manner that we looked upon interference of outsiders with onr. arrangements.