THE HALF HOLIDAY MOVEMENT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2284, 19 November 1889, Page 2

THE HALF HOLIDAY MOVEMENT

A publio moating to consider matters In oonneotion with the half-holiday movement wis held In the Oddfellows' Hall last evening, There was a good attendance, a faw ladles being prosant. Th* chair we a taken by the M»yor, Mr D. Thomas. Apologies were rooelved for the unAvoidable aboanoe of the Rey Father OhiMjtagnou aad Mr W. O. Walker, M.H.R. Before tbe proceedings were com* menoed the Chairman read lettora sympathising with the movement. Mr .It. W. Jenkins wrote suggesting that a trial should be made of the partial holiday proposal, for aay a month, and that m the meantime the Early Closing Association should endeavor to Induce the publio to refrain from shopping on Wednesday afternoon. Mr W. O. Walker wrote expressing the hope that tbe goocl sense of the publio would result In the firm establishment of the movement. Mr W. Straoban, as a farmer, wrote expressing hie sympathy with the move* ment, provided that m harvest time farmers might havo aooess to Ironmongers' shops In order to obtain sxtraa If required for their harvest maobinery. Ihe Rev. E. A. Soott addressed the meeting ut considerable length, He recounted Ihe history of the movement aod tho result of the conference with the business men who h?>d announced thoir intention of not 010-lng In fature. He sp-'ko earnestly as to the benefits the holiday o inferred on Bhop hands, end dealt m detail with the obj.otions urgod against It. If tbey oould not get all tboy won tod at once, then it would be woll, k'Bto&d of risking the holiday, to accept one of the proposals made by tbe objectors, and, as Mr Jenkins sngpoeted, sot tow<r_to edeotte public oplnl n on the Rubject. Me J. W. Sawle sold that It. rested with the publ'c whether tho holiday ware continued or not. If they ref<r.ined from Bupportln„ tha shopkeepers vbo kept opon o*a Wednra^a? afternoon till they fell In with the rest t'ton the movement would soon become general. He moved — '* That lt Is the opinion of this meeting It (a In tho bsst Interests of tho publio and for tho wcilbelng of the employees that tho half holiday bo oontinued." Mr Yen&blei seconded the motion. Mi Olsen sapported the half holiday movement, Mr Kelt considered that a much stronger resolution ws required. He had expeoted to sea some of the people who signed tbe advsrtleemtmt thore thav night to explain the position they had taken up. The half holiday had worked so well that It was due to the public that they should explain why they wlahed to discontinue It. Mr Sawle objected to tefhoton anyone, and therefore he thought tbo resolution ooffio'ent. The Obairman said tb-&t the half holiday was the best institution ever Inaugurated m Ashburton. H>> said that ihe almost unanimous testimony of the farmers was that they ware put to no inconvenience by the holiday, He oombattod tha othar objection, which had been rali-nd, Tho motion wai thou put to tho meeting and oarried unanimously. Mr Outhbertnnn moved " Tbat this meeting views with regret the faot that tho opponents of the half-holiday bave not attended here tnd given reasons for thair notion, and pledges Itself not to deal with those persons wbo advertised to keep opou on Wednesday afternoon." Ha B*ld th&t most of thoao who bad expreased their Intention of keeping opon had at the last puhlio meeting expressed themaelvcß unqualifiedly In favor of tbe half-holiday, »irtd ho had expeoted that they would have attended tbe:e that night to give some reasons for their action He hopad that tho other shopkeepers would bo Et:oog minded enough to kaop open foe a few weeks longer, when the others woold be compelled to close aleo. Me Tasker eeoondod the motion. Mr Rrown was m favor of the holiday but he opposed boyoottlog and threats. The employees would not gain thoir cod by Intimidation. Mr Keir supported the motion. As to what Mr Rrown had said about boycotting it wib perfeotly open to tbe meeting to deal with whom they liked, and to refuse to deal with those who had tried to upset this institution, which, as the Chairman said, was tho best over Introdqaod here, Mr Sawle dissented from tho motion ; lt would frustrate In great measure the object they had In view. Ry quiet poraiatenoo they would do more than by harsh measures, and he raised his voice aga'nat anything so harsh as tho motion whan thoy did not know the reasons the objectors had. Ry paaslug tbe motion tbe meeting would bind Itself to a oourae of aotlon whioh perhaps It oould not oarry out. Io reply. Mo Outhbertaon said that the opponents had oarefully abstained from attending the meeting. Mr Sawle had j stated tbat be wis In favour of the half j holiday being oontinued, and the motion was ona of the beat means of attaining | this end. He failed to see why the meeting would not be able to oarry it out— there were other tradesmen In the town m tbe same lines as tho objeotore. The motion was put to the meeting Snd carried by * ta r go majority, thore elng only soven h.nda beld up m dltssat. Mr Harrison expressed bis objeotion to tho motion whioh had just beon carried, snd moved — "That the persons advertising to open on Wednesday afternoons be again approached with o view to obtaining thele support to 'tho movement, conditionally on the holiday being advertised for throe months ; secondly, that tho shops remain open on Wednefday m any week when other: holidays ooour," The motion was duly seconded* Jbo Chairman said thoßey.l^r Scqtfc "MLr Jenklna'ho>d explained tpV&t tbey had mado those proposals to the objectors, bnt without result j and he did not see the uao of the resolution after the one jast oirrled, Mr Harrison withdrew his motion. The Roy. Mr Sott moved—' 1 That the Half Holiday Commltleo bs requested (o remain as a Commltfceo, and net vest tl}l ih^e l>»lf holiday be Q^VBOm,-' ' Tim motion fyaq aeoonde'd and cairled ( and' » vote o('"th'enke t? tho obalr concluded tbe proceeding.

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