CORONATION HOLIDAY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1158, 20 June 1911, Page 5

CORONATION HOLIDAY.

» Employers take a hand. Tho trouble that has arisen as a result of the Prince of Wales's Birthday (an award .holiday), following immediately upon Coronation Day, was discussed at a meeting of the Advisory Committee tof the Ne.w Zealand Employers' Federation yesterday.' The committee passed the following 'resolutions:—' "(1) That as the Government Departments are only observing Thursday (Coronation Day) as a holiday, thus making the general observance of the Prince of Wales' 9 Birthday on that day, all employers of labour are advised to observe the holiday for tho Prince of Wales's Birthday on Thursday (Coronation Day), in lieu of Friday." "(2) That the president and vice-presi-dent of the federation wait upon the Deputy-Mayor and chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board, requesting those bodies to adopt a similar course'of procedure, and— "(3) That tho Mayors and chairmen of the various local bojlies throughout New Zealand bo requested to act in a like manner." In taking this step, the employers hope that general agreement will be secured, and that public sentiment will be with them. On June 15 the secretary of the Wellington Employers' Federation (Mr. W. Grenfell) wrote to tho Minister for Labour (tho Hon. J. A. Millar), suggesting that the holiday difficulty might be overcome if the Government would request the people of the Dominion to observe Thursday, June 22, as a holiday, in celebration of the King's Coronation and the Birthday of tho Prince of Wales. Some awards, Mr. Grenfell. pointed out, contained saving clauses, authorising tho substitution of one day for another as a holiday. Employers working under other awards would no doubt the risk of claims being made by individuals for holiday rates of pay for working on June 23, if tho Government should request citizens to merge the holidays into one. The reply of the Government was that the matter had been submitted to the Crown Law Officers, who had advised that the Crown had no right to interfere in the matter.

The attitude taken up by the Labour Depnvtment-is understood +0 be that it will not interfere in any case where a compromise in regard to the holiday difficulty is arrived at by unions of employees and their employers. The Acting-Mayor (Councillor Smith), in an advertisement in this issue requests citizens to., observe Thursday next as Day, and also as Prince of Wales's Birthday this year. The J taster Grocers' Association at a meeting yesterday decided that, in view of a clause in the award governing the trade, compelling the observance of the Prince of Wales's Birthday, members must needs open their shops on Coronation Day and close on the Prince of Wales's Birthday. No approaches have been made by the employees' union to the masters, but at a recent meeting it passed a resolution declining to interfere with the operation of the award. At a meeting of the Butchers' Union held_ at the Beehive Chambers last evening it was decided to adhere to the award holiday—Friday, tli9 Prince of Wales's Birthday.

THE POSITION IN AUCKLAND. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.! Auckland, June 19. Some comment has been provoked by the decision of the master grocers to observe the usual statutory half-holiday this week, and remain open on Coronation Day. The position of tho master grocers was explained by Mr. C. R. Hutchinson, president of the association, to-day. Members of the association were unanimously in favour of observing Coronation Day as a full holiday, in substitution of the statutory half-holiday, and the Labour Department was approached, with a view to ascertain whether official sanction would be given to the alteration. Though the local officers were powerless to authorise the change of holiday, it was suggested that the Employees' Union be asked to agree. This was done, but the union preferred to havo the statutory half-holi-day, rather than the full day on Thursday. } The attitude taken up by the union, as explained by an official, was that the award must be observed, and if employers desired to have an alteration and to 6how their patriotism by closing on Coronation Day, it should not bo done at the expense of tho workers.