THE HALF HOLIDAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 726, 27 January 1910, Page 2

THE HALF HOLIDAY.

: ■ WEDNESDAY AGAIN SELECTED; '; : ;.Y. ... The statutory, meeting-of: delegates '.of '. -. ■:•■ ■ local, bodies to decide on- which day ol; : ,.'-;;. the week .the statutory be held;during the ensiling year was held , '-.Ijj in No.: 1 Committee llooni of. the.Towa.'./ '. : l .Hull: yesterday afternoon. "■■ ... ... ■,> ..'.i! ;• Thorb were present Dr.'A. IC. Newman ■'■' ji {chairman);"'• Wellington : City Council: ..-..:ji Covincilldrs, Smith, i Balhnger, .Dovine, .-■ .jj and Cohen;'■'• Ifiramar Borough Council -',i'.'-'; v ' Councillor. Bowie; Onslow./Borough:. Mr.? , ' ■ i! •>■ G. Harkness; .Johnsonville Town ." Board: Mr. ; - J. . Edd;.'■■;' Karori'■: Borough 'C-4 Council:! Jlr.'.Dasent;;:" , ' .-;;■—-;- -.- ■;■;..■ |

. ■ The Mayor!" on/taking .his'.- seat,' said ;f :that all present were aware of tho-pur- , ■ poso.for which they had : niet;/.ltwas to./' decide- on.; which . day. : of - the week ilia'■' : .woeHy half-holiday. observed..■ He-would :call-on someone':to:move a re*' f solution.> ,/'.-;''--'".''. '" :>';';j* -v,"V-/ : --V■■- "• .■■■■■ Councillor -J.'' j.'-. Dcvine '.':: moved i 'that ~; : Wednesday be the- day of. tli'o week ■ fol ■,' •tho observance,oflithe half-holiday, ". y. Id'" • doing ■ so, he stated' .that : there; ivas nf ■ : ■ ' reasott:why, .they i; should v'chahge - from,' Wednesday. , There;was no'demarid fbr'a/. chahgo' from- anyone,' and .no • evidence'■-'• whatsoever that.such a change was want* ■■ jcd. 'There was-talk; of Saturday., being, the .day "in .-Borne:, instances, and- he

was- prepafcd/.to'toricedo. that- Saturday-. •.: was- this- ideal, day,.for the. half-holiday,'. •;; ; . but as things were.'now a' change would! ; -. ■'■ ' mean, a big dislocation-of trade.''' ■'. :■■■ ■'"-.■. ■■:':■ ' : Councillor! T; Biillinger,, who seconded' ■; .the' ; motion, pointed' out the'clause in the '■ ■'".-.". statute affecting the weekly haH-holiday,V.- : emphasising ; the; point ■that;' if: ■WcdnesrC day.was nxed;;it did:not prevent anyone;:' ■'. from' keepingjopen,;that.day;aiidiclosing;-' , . on Saturday,.but if' Sa'tur(Jay^.was ; chosen.'' ' everyone-would .Have' -to.-. clqso on^thSvi-'. afternoon of that; day;; ;Hβ ■ mentioned ■:. ■.' also -.that .Napier .had tried', the Saturday," v^ , ; cldsingi and;.had*had.to give, it;up.-.'.•■■'.;'• i'.'.. ' •':■ Councillor" Goheni; who also;:supported -, : : the'inotioni■':said that ofX429., boroughs.ip j■,' -:i 'New Zealand; only six had' adopted Sa^■■■'..';,l urday, and , some .of. those 'were, sorry foi it.:; '' Saturday :• closing ;■ in : Dunedin.i had' nearly .killed .a;lot:, of- the,•' smaller :shop* keepersi-v , ,:..;.?;:-'.''- , ";-'- , :."-;*;);'"''' , .''-'';:',....''. ... '.' . Mr, vDasent •■ (Mayor,- : of ■. ■Karori) •■ said' v. .flat as amattor of (Jutyi : he.would:move■'.-, as an amendment that Saturday .be the ■ day, for the: observance.' of .'the j weeUjvO half-holiday.': He':moved.- in : '.this direc-, •:■: lion as'instructed by his'council,'but he'.--did not. expect, to" got: 'a seconder, andf: personally thotfght 'Wediiesdayl.the, bet- , . '■ ter day.":.':-•■•■ -.• ;; :-v''v- : - ■"■.■■.- >■'-^>'■--' .«■>-■ : .Mr. J. G. -Harkness (Mayor of 'Onslow) 1 -• seconded / theO:amendment; ■Hβ .had al-"',i ways Vbeett'''in : '; favour "(if'Hhe'" Saturdajrjv half-hqliday; ; vahd;. would : be .'■pleased;l'M*.;'" ree'ofd : :his' i vote" iu;'that 'direction:!'•■'■■'.'V'/ ;: Councillor.",John 5 - Smilh'-:'pointed ; :but|' l 'that';Saturiay,. : .'..through: , .-'custom,"..had,!;; coine' to':bb' regarded-as 'thei : gT6at. shopif:. ■pinij day. amongst a; certain''chiss;' : witlw'' who'm it-wtis pay day:,. If;it;.wefo alteredi.;. th'oy would find that many,"a.man's earn«i ■;■; ings would; go jhtp; the, wrong.:channel,- : and 'niucli': misery :.)yould ; be/, caused. - : Hβ did hope'.that'the senseiof the , meeting; ?' would declare in ',favour ; .of,.'Wedhesday^.'i .The,amendment was:lost,'and , the . tioh in' .favour; of 'Wednesday. was-;, ca i> ..' ried on. th' J voices'(Messrs.. Dasent' and.,; Harknoss: t'eing' the,- , only, dissentients). .■.;'