Early Closing.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6833, 22 April 1890, Page 2

Early Closing.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib,— Whilst thanking you for your able leader of Saturday's issue, let me ask, How is the difficulty to be got over by other means than by boycott ? , Say eleven out of twelve tradesmen are willing and wish to close, but the twelfth obstinately refuses, how long could we expect the. eleven to do so unless they are protected against the encroachments o£ number twelve? I see no other or better remedy than boycott, and do not hesitate to advocate it. Ido not mean persecution by mob rule, or anything of that kind ; but simply the refusal of the public to support such a man by abstaining from purchasing at his establishment. On the part of the Early Closing Association there haß been no undue haste tobring operations to a climax ; but I think the advice given us in a leader of the Lyttelton Times—" strike whilst the iron ia hot"— is too good to ignore. Now, in Auckland where half the trade of the place has for years been done in the suburbs after 6 p.m. every evening of the week, itwas deemed by many an impossibility to put down night shopping; many tradesmen had made their businesses through evening purchasing, and did literally nothing during the day. It was, therefore, only to be expected that these would look upon early closing a3 simply ruin to themselves. "Well Sir, this night trading has been killed, and friend "Boycott" has been an able pleader in the cause ; and now, after some months of early closing amongst those I have mentioned, the strongest opponents (those who were. I should say> state they have not iost by it. This may be taken into consideration by our Sydenham friends, who, we hope, will find it to their advantage to accept our programme; the date of the meeting to be held there shortly is nob yet fixed.— l am, &0 -> R. CLARK. Hon Sec. N. Z. E. C. Association. TO THB EDITOR. Sib,— Will you allow me to reply to " Anti-Curfew V li he is in the fishing business and not the oyster saloon, I am. certain he could close as other tradesmen ; but if he is starting in the oyster saloon business, I will ask him whether he could close at 11 p.m., the same as an hotelkeeper ? Sir, I nrny tell him that the fishmongers' trade is the same as any other trade, but when used for saloons they are no longer fishmongers. Hoping their hours "will be shortened, — I am, &c, LIVE AND LET LIVE.