EARLY CLOSING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6771, 7 February 1890, Page 4

EARLY CLOSING.

MEETING OF THE ASSOCTiTIOE.

A largely attended meeting of the Canterbury Early Closing Association was-held at the YJkLC. A. -Booms last evening, Mr J. Joyce, M.H.E., was voted to the chair.

The Chairman, who was received 'with, applause, felt grateful foe the invitation to be present^ He referred to the action he had taken in. Parliament with reference to the Early Closing Bill. Such a Bill was presented to the House in 1887, 1888 and 1889, and on the last occasion it passed its second reading. It had been framed on the lines suggested by the Auckland Association. He considered that legislation on such a question as this should be preceded by the education of the people. He differed with some- of the movers in this matter in Canterbury. He" hoped they would credit him with the same interest and enthusiasm as they possessed themselves. (Applause.) He knew legislation must come. That was plain to him in 1887, and still more so when the Bill was reintroduced at subsequent sessions. The members of the House, however, represented all interests, and they (the Associa tion) must not be surprised if the members did. not see eye to eye with them. In England there had. as yet been no legislation on the subject. Rethought at present it would be wrong to ask fox the closing of all shops at 1 p.m. on Saturday. (Applause.) They Bhonld be content at first to affirm the principle of early closing by legislative .enactment. To close all shops at 1 pan. on Saturday would paralyse the whole of the trade of the city. Chxißtchnrch people had got into the groove of regarding Saturday as their market day, and before any legislation could be obtained they would have to show the Parliament that it would be for the benefit of the whole community. Legislative enactment was the only thing that would effect permanent benefit. The combined action of shopkeepers, without the interference of Parliament, had failed, as was the case recently at Lyttelton, to bring about early j closing. He referred to Sir John Lubbock's/ proposals in England, and read an extract from a Home paper on the subject. Whe/n I th 9 Bill was before the House of Bf/p---resentatives last seasion, it was opposed/by eeveral members .on the ground thatj it woold interfere unduly with small traders. ! One member suggested that a permission clause should be introduced, leaving the matter to lecal option. Several mimbera were in favour of the Bill but thought the legislation should be in the same form as in "Victoria, where the operation of the Act was left to particular citiea and boroughs when desired. They should help/ those who were kept working from sev/en in the morning to nine or ten at night, especially I the grocers. (Applause.) They should seek to obtain legislative enactment tor six o'clock closing for every sb,op throughout the Colony. Having got that they could educate the people to see tiae advantage of a Saturday half-holiday, or .the changing of the market day. Now they found that the master drapers were /banding together against the Saturday half-holiday, and he thought that if they had the power of compelling Parliament to pass the one o'clock closing on Saturday he would advise them to forbear, for many parts of the Colony were not yet preps/red for such a change. They should be cont/ent at present to obtain the six o'clock cJ/oaing, with permissive clauses. He felt; grateful for the confidence his ' constituents had placed in him in not questioning his action in this matter in the past. He could not advocate v/hathe considered would bd unfair to trades generally. If the Bill contained proposals which were not backed up by the voice of the country, though it might be forced through the Lower House, it would be thrown out in the Upper House. They must not do a wrong to any community or any body of people. He trusted they would be unanimous, and not ask for too much. Let their demands be reasonable, and then succesa would follow. (Loud applause.) Mr F. S. Parker said the Trades and Labour Council were in favour of this movement, and of the working men having half a day's holiday on Saturday. The merchants, and the lawyers too — (laughter) — found it necessary to close at one o'clock on that day, and he maintained that labourers required this halt'-day'a holiday as weil. If the working men were determined about a reform, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred it came to pass. It was a harsh word, but the weapon they used now had a very cutting edge to it, and employers feared it. It was "Boycotting." He asked them to become federated with the Trades and Labour Couiicil, when they would have sixteen hundred men to back them up. He knew the employers did not like this sort of reform. There was never a reform yeb that working men tried to bring about but what employers tried to stop it. If the Trades and Labour Council could assist this movement they would certainly do so. (Loud applause.) The Secretary (Mr Clark) said he had canvassed amongst the employers, and had concluded that the Association would be able to carry the measure for a Saturday half-holiday. It was not intended to leave the small outside shops to increase their trade at the expense of the larger firms. He moved — " That thia Association is of opinion that no necessity exists for night shopping, and that employers, employees and the general public would be equally benefited by the closing of retail, shops at 6 p.m. on ordinary days, and on Saturday afternoons at one o'clock; and that tha Association's Committee take united action to carry out the decision." Mr Peake seconded the motion. The Eev T. Flavell said he was present from pure sympathy with the movement ■which brought them together. (Applause). He suggested that the words " if possible " should be inserted before one o'clock. (Applause). It was resolved that the resolution passed at &, former meeting relative to closing half a day on Fridays be rescinded. Mr Clark's motion was then carried unanimously with the amendment suggested by Mr Flavell. The Secretary reported that the proportion of trades upon the Committee was as follows : — Drapers 9, ironmongers 4, grocers 5, bootmakers 1, watchmakers 1, tailors 1, furnishing trade 1. It was resolved to reduce the scale of subscription. The Secretary stated that the employees at "Wellington and Dunedin were waiting for the decision of the present meeting before taking action. The Committee were asked to consider the question of affiliation with the Trades and Labour Council. The EevT. Flavell was elected a member of the Committee. Messrs W. B. Perceval, J. Joyce. W. P. Eeevea, E. M. Taylor and A. Loughrey, M.H.H/s, were- elected Vice-Presidents of the Association. A vote of thanks to Mr Joyce for presiding was carried by acclamation, and the . meeting adjourned.