The Star. THURSDAY, MARCH 3,1881.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4015, 3 March 1881, Page 2

The Star. THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 1881.

_________ ________^^^— , Thb opening of the Publio Library on tbe Sabbath bus been oarried at a meeting of tho Board of Governors on the voices, and nought now remains but to give effeot to the resolution. It it right to acknowledge tbat this concession has been hardly wrung from the Board, and that a great deal of feeling seems to have been — perhaps naturally — manifested npon the occasion. To our , mind the most striking — the -tost dig* nified — figure amongst the objectors is that of the venerable Primate, who, with great liberality, declared that "it did not matter muoh whether a man read books in publio or in private, and he trusted that all books in the Pablio Library were of suoh a oharaoter that they might be read, if not with profit at least without harm, on the Sabbatb." After suoh an announcement of course all argument, except one, was swept at onoe away, but that one was adhered to with an amount of determination whioh showed plainly how deeply seated the feeling of hostility wan. The Sabbath is a day of rest ; yet notwithstanding there are, as we have already pointed out, a very considerable number who must labour. All domestio servanti, to begin with, have one or two hours' work at J least tbat must be got through, even if it is claimed that tbey aro allowed every alternate Sunday to themselves. Sundry tradesmen most do a portion of their labor on tbe Sabbatb, notably bakers and compositors; engine-drivers run trainß

to port, and tioket-collectoreand moneytakers must be at tbeir posts; the gardens and Mnsenm are open on the Sabbatb, and oare takers and watchers must bo at these institutions to see that the property of the people is not abused ; lastly, tbe telegraph is open to the publio morning and evening, necessitating the labour of a large number of operators all over the country upon the day of rest. We admit at once tbat this violation of the day of rest is an cvil — a very considerable hardship npon those who must bo at the post of duty, to minister to tbe wants or the enjoyments of others — bnt it is impossible to discover how it can be avoided otherwise than by an absolute denial to tbe people of tbe reoreation and convenienoies wbioh they demand. It most be admitted tbat the exigency of the position is reoegnised, and that the difficulty in all cases bas been overcome; not, we mast say, entirely to onr satisfaction, for we hold that those who are em* ployed by the State to do work on the Sabbath should be treated with an exceptional liberality, whioh we are sorry to observe does not obtain. However, men have- been found— and we doubt not always will be — to meet the requirements of tbe pnblio in this respeot, and the difficulty of obtaining men ot oharaoter to labour on the Sabbath, although it may appear of a staggering nature to oertain members of the Board of Gol vernors, is certainly not altogether overwhelming ; the Libra, y Committee will get over.it, we do not doubt 'lhe Board ot Governors is a rather singularly constituted body; for some reason by no means dear the eminently respeotablo world of qffioialdom is very largely represented npon it Now, whereas, with any merohant •manr''*-*---turer, or other large employer of labour the chief study would be how to satisfy the demands of his oustomers— -how best to meet the -views of those by whose patronage and support he subsists — the tbe official mind on the Board of Governors appears to attaoh uo importance to the wishes and interests of the reading pnblio, which indeed should be the primary object of their existence, as compared with the convenience, com* fort, and, possibly, peace of mind of a few clerks. Apparently they oannot be got to travel beyond the fact tbat some two or three offioials wUI have to be, as others are, at their posts for a couple of hours on Sabbath evenings. The terrible wrong wbioh they oonolude it in contemplation to two or three officials doubles up the official mind at once, and the mere publio sinks into insignificance. An official must be I protected from aome immense injury whiob it is hazily oonolnded— or whioh, it may be more oorreot to say, they desire to oonolude— is hanging over him, and for this pigmy consideration, forsooth, the people are to be sept shut out from their own property. The ordinary man of business would very quickly dispose of a possible objection of this nature. He would say, " The men and women whom I employ are but instruments in my hands, very valuable instruments truly, and as suoh to be kept polished and clean and well oiled ; but when they cease to perform my work to my satisfaction they must be cast aside at onoe, and others found. My life depends npon my work, and I cannot afford to be sentimental over my tools." This is the hard, praotical common sense of business, and is equally understood by employer and employee. Why it should be different with the officials of the Board of Governors we are at a loss to know. Of course we do" not advocate any injustice being done to the offioial attendants at the Publio Library, or tbat they should be subjected to the least harshness ; but it ie dear that if they oannot comply with what the publio demands they must give way for others who can ; the publio cannot be expeoted to give way to them. Some other positions may be found, or the computation for loss of office usual in suoh cases be awarded to tbem ; but certainly it would never occur to any bnt an offioial mind to calmly pnt forward the proposition that the people should be kept waiting outside the doors of their own institution, whilst some no doubt very pious clerk went off to ohuroh or otherwise disported himself with the key in bis pooket Of oonrse, we are dealing with this question now in foil view of the faot that all other argument save the employment of a clerk or other responsible person on the Sabbath has been swept away — a position of advantage for whioh we have to thank the liberality and perspioaoity of the venerable the Primate of Canterbury. We do not doubt that the Library Committee of the Board will pay the most assiduous attention to tbe anxieties of tbe objectors, taking care that no wrong is perpetrated either upon the conscience or liberty of any individual, and that all the difficulties apprehended will be as successfully overcome in relation to the Library as tbey have been in regard to other institutions. We congratulate the people npon the viotory whioh has been aobieved.