THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 11578, 29 January 1913, Page 6

THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

THURSDAY DECIDED ON

ON UNDERSTANDING THAT POLL 1.8 TO BE TAKEN.

A special meeting of the Mastortcm Borough Council, last evening, held to fix tho day.for the- observance of the half-holiilay," was attended by the Mayor (Mr .T. M. Coradine in tho chair), and Crs Prentice, Ewington, Candy, Flanagan, Temple, Klliott and O'Leary. An apology for absence was received from Cr Donald. A petition from a number of retail shop keepers was received, protesting ' against any change in the day to be observed . The Mayor said if the Council wished to .shirk their responsibility they could leave the matter over and the Minister would fix the day for them. He thought it was better to stay as they were. They could fix the day for Thursday for the coming year, and let any petition for a poll take its usual course. He moved that Thursday be fixed as the half-holiday. Cr Ewington said he favoured Saturday, and believed it would eventually become the half-holiday if it went to a poll of the ratepayers. He believed if the Council that night fixed Saturday as the half-holiday it would prejudice the issue at the poll. He would therefore support the motion. Cr O'Leary said he believed those opposed to tho Saturday half-holiday had helped those in favour of it to get up a petition, but they did not mean to go on with it, and when the halfholidav was fixed, there would be no poll. He moved as an amendment that Saturday be fixed as the half-holiday. Cr Elliott said the necessary number of names could easily be obtained to get a poll taken. Cr Flanagan seconded Cr O'Leary's amendment. Ho said they could easily obtain the necessary names to take it to a poll. He thought the matter was one for a poll. Cr Prentice asked if the Mayor could inform him if there was a likelihood of a poll being taken. The Mayor said he could not-answer that. He did not know. Cr Prentice said he had always supported the Saturday half-holiday, and would continue to do so. The Mayor said he was personally in favour of a Saturday half-hoTiday, and he believed it -would come. The amendment was lost, and the motion carried on the voices.