Half-Holiday Movement at Ashburton.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6706, 20 November 1889, Page 4

Half-Holiday Movement at Ashburton.

; «, la consequence of five shopkeepers in Ashburton having announced their intention of keeping their places of busincßS open on Wednesday afternoons after Oct. 31, a public meeting waa held in the Oddfellows' Hall on Monday evening to discuss the half-holiday question. The Mayor presided, and tnere was a good attendance. "I he meeting waa fairly orderly, although at times a little noißy, and at one time an ex-Mayor felt called upon to speak of a person present as a hare-brain. The Eev E. A. Scott, who with Mr B. W. Jenkins, had interviewed the five opponents of the half-holiday movement, reported the convera&tionsbehadhad with the3o gentlemen on the subject, and after strongly advocating the claims of the employees to a half-holiday once a week, cloned -with an appeal to the public not to shop on Wednesdays. Mr Sawle also spok«, and moved-" That it is for the beat interests of the community that the Wednesday half-holiday should be, con-

further-talk, Mr R. M. Cuthbertson moved — ""That this meeting views with regret the fact that the opponents of the halfholiday have not attended this meeting and given reasons for their action, and pledges itself not to deal with those ~merchants who keep open their shopa on Wednesday afternoons." The meeting here was somewhat disorderly, but ultimately the motion was carried by a largo majority. A motion by the Rev E. A. Scott — "That the Half-holiday Association' continue their labours until thehalf-holiday become a permanent institution"" was alsocarried, and after a vote of thanks to the Mayor the meeting closed.