KINO'S BIRTHDAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 828, 28 May 1910, Page 3

KINO'S BIRTHDAY.

MUST IT BE KEPT?

'A CURIOUS POSITION,

Although King George has naked his fenhjects not to oelebrate his birthday ibis year, it appears certain that many of his loyal subjects jn New Zealand will be compelled to keep it as a holiday to the extent of closing their 1 places .of business next Friday, refraining from their ordinary work. Tho position is that tho birthday of tho xedgning Sovereign is a statutory holiday for banks and for certain workers in factories, and it is also one of tho holidays provided for in a number of awards of the Arbitration Court.

Law Must be Observed. Mr. J. Lomas, Chief Inspector of Factories, informed a Dominion reporter yesterday that the matter had been under consideration, and no relaxation of the law was possible. The Factories' Act made the birthday of the leigning Sovereign a_ whole holiday for boys under 18 employed in factories and all females so employed.. Industries governed by awards would .require to observe the holiday in terms of the awards, which varied considerably & the different industries. In regard to establishments under the Shops and Offices Act, the only statutory holiday was the weekly halfrholiday. Mr. W. Pryor, secretary of tho New Zealand Employers' Federation, wired yesterday to 'all affiliated bodies, stating that legal advice had been received that where the King's Birthday had been prescribed as a holiday either by statute or by award, it .would require to be observed.

The -Wellington Trades Council, at its meeting on Thursday night, decided to advise itsN affiliated unions to insist on a strict adherence to the letter of the awards ,m regard to the Sovereign's hjrthday. ' Shopkeepers' Position. Mr. H. H. Seaton, president of the ; New Zealand' Shopkeepers' Association, when interviewed, said that he was not prepared to,speak on hehalf of that tody, but his own opinion was that as fie Kitig himself did not desire any celebration of his birthday, it would be quite unnecessary for shopkeepers to observe the holiday except in any cases where they were governed by awards. A number of shopkeepers who had rung him up during the day had expressed the same view.

Position Under Local Awards. Mr. W. A. W. Grenfell, secretary of the Wellington Employers' Association, after looking up tile principal 'industrial awards' affecting "Wellington, gave the following information:— ( Bakers are, ontitled ,to be paid time and a half for any work on the King'B Birthday and tills is in addition to Ifcheir ordinary weekly wages. Grocers must receive two days' pay in addition to their regular weekly wages. Butchers may work for two flours only and must be paid time and a half. They are not allowed to work under eny conditions during the remainder -. cf the day.

Drivers working on the King's Birthday are entitled to be paid Is. 3d. an !hour in addition to their ordinary weekly wages.

. Under the tailors' award weekly wage hands must receive double-time pay in addition to their regular weekly wage, while piece-workers must' be paid Is. an hour by the clock, in addition to the usual piece-work rates. Tailoresses come under the Factories Act.

. Electrical workers, engineers, furniture makers, general labourers; timberyard and sawmill workers, and engine drivers must, be paid time and a, half,-. if r they work on the Sovereign's Birthday. . In the awards governing the building trades" a variety of conditions apply. . No holiday is provided for carpenters and bricklayers, but builders' labourers, if they work, must be paid double time. Painters and , stonemasons may work at ordinary rates. Plasterers are entitled to double time, and plumbers to time and a half.

Uniformity Wanted. Commenting on tho above facts, Mr. Grenfell remarked that there was clearly a great need for.more uniform conditions in the awards affecting allied trades. Efforts should be made by those applying to the-Arbitration Court for awards to secure such uniformity. In the building trades, for instance, employers would not care to pay double rates to their labourers', though they could employ carpenters and bricklayers at ordinary rates. Doubt-less, the result would be that the carpenters would have to stand down. Again, if the drivers did not work, many other businesses would be dislocated,, through cessation of the delivery of goods, and work the wharves would be seriously affected.

Mr. H. F. Allen, secretary of the Industrial Association and of the 'Shopkeepers' Association, when consulted, also emphasised the desirability of un-i- - as to holidays in industrial awards. Tho grocers' shops would apparently have to close, the terms of the award as to payment being practically prohibitive, but many of the other shops would doubtless remain open. Such a position was highly undesirable, but there appeared to bo no help for it under the present state of tho law and tho awards.

Prince of Wales's Birthday.

Another effect which tho demise of the Crown has upon holidays in New Zealand concerns the Prince of AVales's Birthday. It would apjicar to bo almost certain that there will be no Prince of Wales's Birthday to keep this year. The birthday of Prince Edward, the heir-apparent, is on June 23, but it is considered improbable that he will be created Prince of Wales before that date. Legal advice on this point has been taken in Christchurch, and is to the effect that the holiday will not require to be kept as long as the title of Prince of AVa-les remains in abeyance.