The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1889. THE WEDNESDAY HALFHOLIDAY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2282, 16 November 1889, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1889. THE WEDNESDAY HALFHOLIDAY.

Wo are sorry to say that tho prospects of tho maintenance of the Wednesday half-holiday m Ashburton are by no means so bright as could bo wished — still it is possible to secure its permanont establishment if the co-operation of the public can be obtained. The position is this : Yesterday two gentlemen representing tho promoters of tho half-holiday movement had a conference with tho business firms which have intimated 1 their withdrawal from the Wednesday afternoon closing compact, and tho matter was very fully Ak cussed. It appears that tho arguments on the sido of the latter are "that during tho approaching harvost seasOu it is necessary that exlras for machinery — reapers, etc. — should bo procurable at any moment, whenever i breakdowns occur, as otherwise the farmers would bo seriously inconvenionced, and that it is even now necessary to keep open on Wednesday afternoons m tho case of establishments doaling m dairy produce, because tho butter is brought to town on Wednesdays as well aB Saturdays. As a compromise tho firms m question offered either of two alternatives for acceptance, viz., either to close one whole day once a month, or to give half their assistants a holiday, turn about, on each Wednesday afternoon, both these offers we understand being contingent upon the strict observance of 6 p.m. as the closing hour on all days except Saturday. On the part of the employees it is urged that the day a month will prevent the success of organisations for outdoor sports, and that the Wednesday afternoon m each week is infinitely preferable, and ss regards tho other proposal it is pointed out that if accepted it must inevitably break down, as Bhould it happen that any establishment should bo busy on any particular Wednesday afternoon it is unreasonable to suppose that half the hands would bo allowod to go, or that they would think it consonant with their duty to go away under such circumstances. It reooains, therefore, wo suppose that those houses which were open on Wednesday laßt, will also keep open on uncceeding Wednesdays. W hat then is to bo done ? First, it is perhaps a pity that Thursday had not been selected for tho half-holiday, as this would have suited thebutter-makerßwhocometo town with their produce on Wednesdays, and it is possible that by changing the holiday to Thursday a more general adherence might bo gained. This might bo tried. If even then the difficulties m the way prove insuperable, then it must ho to the public ot the^town and country that tho promoters of tho weekly halfholiday (mußt look to •nable them to achieve success — and the pub'i# can do it. Lot all who wish to see the employers and employees of business establishments m tho enjoymont of one half-day's relaxation onco a week help them to attain it by making Wednesday afternoons a blank so far as shopping is concerned ; even at a little inconvenience, let everyone m town and country make it a rulo not to purchase a single articlo on a Wednesday afternoon, but to make tho purchase on tho Wednesday morning — or, if unable to do that, to wait till Thursday morning, nncl Iho result will soon bo that the shopß will cease to be kept open on Wednesday afternoons. Yet precisely tho same amount of goods will be purchased, and from precisely the Bnme establishments, during the year, bo that nobody will bo a penny tho worse — while, m the end, everybody will bo a gainer by tho fiim establishment of a most desirablo institution.