THE HALF-HOLIDAY MOVEMENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2137, 17 May 1889, Page 3

THE HALF-HOLIDAY MOVEMENT.

TO THB XDITOB. 818,-»As your reporter conld not bear what I laid at the public meeting re half holiday movement, if you kindly insert the following I shall feel obliged. Although I don't think we are quite xlpe for the half-boJiloy, and, although I would have to engage extra help to do the work, I should like to hive it very much, and will fall In with others In trying to establish It, or what I think would be better still to have a whole day onoe a month, say, the first Wednesday In every month. But sir. we will have to work up to it ; to my mind the grest obstacle is, there ar*» some of the storekeepers who will not ■hut even at six o'clock, and I mry say that those of us who have adhered to the short boors have been obaglned at seeing other shops open till 9 and even 10 o'clook, and instead of trying to remedy the evil, the movers m the half-holiday movement suggest that we all keep open late, only establish the balf-hollday. Well, we could expect nothing better wbeD the principal mover In • mm who came here and tried to break the shoit bourr, and I maintain they are short hour*, the shortest m tbe world, notwithstanding what the Rev. Mr Soott said •bout the hours In London, Oh 1 I spent • tew nights In London some years ago, •nd hours with London shopkeepers ? No fir, not any more than I would go baok to the hours I had. when m » situation m Vlotorla from 7 a.m. till 9 at night, and tl on Saturday. I have noticed that the most of the customers who shop after six o'olook are domestics. I would suggest to the philanthropic, that they should take up their case, and establish a half -holiday for them, cay on Thursday afternoon, when they could do their shopping, and there would then be no r ason or excuse for anyone keeping open after cix, aod then we could go in/for the holiday for the swops. But until. 'six o'clock dosing Is general, \ I contend', that the half holiday question Is not ckftatiab'e — I am, etc , . / Robert A work. Aehbnrton, May 16th, 1889