THE HOLIDAY QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 216, 5 June 1908, Page 8

THE HOLIDAY QUESTION.

—* — EMPIRE DAY AND PRINCE OF WALES' BIRTHDAY. ' (BT XELEGEirn— SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) Christchurch, June 4. The "Press" protests against tbie present confusion arising from tte partial celebration of Empire Day and the Prince of 1 Wales's Birthday holidays. It remarks• ' A public holiday which is observed by all- ■ trades and professions, by tho Government ! Departments and private firms, causes but 1 slight incouvenienfco to anyone, but under ! the present system, when some of the shops' ! close on Empire Day and some on tho 1 Prince of Wales's Birthday, when, the banks " take, advantage of the opportunity to clow 1 on both days, but' only the latter is ob- . served by the Post and Telegraph Office, a * public holiday becomes a public nuisance. " Tho legislation wo were promised last year, • which was to put the whole question of " statutory holidays on a rational footing, I came to: nothing, but. wo sincerely hope bir k Joseph Ward will make an' effort to deal with the matter, this session. Whatever happens to tho Saints' Days, now -so roll- • giously observed by the banks, and by no ono else, often to the great inconvenience of the business community, thero is f no doubt at all as, to what should be done I with the Prince of Wales's Birthday hollday. It should bo strutk off the list of statutory holidavs, so that public interest might bq concentrated oii the celebration.of Empire 0 Day. No suspicion of disloyalty is involved 0 in passing over the Prince's birthday in fav--7 our of Empire Day,' for no notice is taken of " tho former anniversary at Homo beyond tho recognition accorded to it in court and offi- ■ cial circles: As.a matter of fact, wo believe , New Zealand is the only portion of tho Empire which has set it apart as a statutory holiday. The celebration of Empire Day, on tho other hand, ,is becoming widespread, and if tho movement continues to grow as it has grown of late years, the day will before long >r most amply justify its title. If wo really believe, as all must, in tho eventual federa--1 tion of tho Empire by some means, and on e' some plan still to bo discovered and applied, Ijl wo must agree with a proposal , that brings t- that ideal closer by encouraging the scntis went on which federation must be based.