HALF-HOLIDAY POLL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1711, 31 March 1913, Page 6

HALF-HOLIDAY POLL.

OBJECTION TO THE PETITION,

IDENTIFYING THE SIGNATURES. '

A number of Wellington retailers. who ordinarily observe.tho weekly half-holiday on Wednesday, are actively opposing tho movement now afoot to liavp a of the citizens. take"n. on a proposal to change tlio day: lor-the observance of tho halt-liolWay-from Wednesday to Saturday. A tew of the shopkeepers interested, who wish to retain Wednesday ns the closing day, callcd'on tho Town Clork (Mv. J. If. l'lilmer) in' Saturday to ii>k him whoso duty it was to- peruse the petition presented, iuul tlcclaro whether or not it was iu order. It may-bo.explained Hint m order to mi\ke tho talcing of a poll obligatory upon 'the council, it is necessary that the petition asking for tho poll shall bo signed by one-tenth of the electors of Wellington and surrounding boroughs. The petition bears a. number of names which is more than 'sutiicient, but it is-necessary that t'ne. signatories should be electors of the boroughs concerned. On . the petition, liowever, only names are signed; tho signatories liavo not identified themselves fully by giving also their occupations and addresses; It is,alleged bv the opponents of tho. Saturday closing scheme that with sue.li meagre information it is impossible for t'lio Town-vplerk or-anybody else to identify the signatures as those of electors. Tho Town Clerk informed a Dominion reporter oh • Saturday that h« was the officer who hud to decide whether the petition was in order or i)ot, and he had told the shopkeepers this. He, however, conceived it to oe. his'duty to interpret everything coining from the citizens'in the most liberal' manner possible. If, for instance,; there was a name, "S. Jones," on the petition, .and there was an "S. Jones" on the electors' list, he would-.alluw that signature. Bir,t if there wcro two names, "S. .Tones," on tho petition, and only olio oil'tho, roll, he would have to disallow one of the names oil the petition. He would certainly make tho closest >' possible scrutiny of the iiamSs. He added that if lie allowed the petition, and any persons considered that, ho had done so in error,

it would be open to them to test the validity-.of...his'decision in the Courts. The Jluyor' (Mr. D. M'Laren) was also asked by it Dominion reporter whose duty it was to approve or disapprove - of the petition.-'. The Mayor said tile Act was not t-.pecifio on tile point, but he considered that the, decision rested -.with him. He stated further that tho petition was in exactly the-same form as tho previous one, which hail been allowed and acted uponv "-(I ~ The: shopkeepers who waited upon the' Town Oktrk hove asked Mr. T. F. Martin, solicitor, to supply them with a legal opinion on tlie point as to whether their objection to the. petition is valid or not. Mr. Murtin has promised to let them havo his opinion on Tuesday morning. A meeting of shopkeepers favourable to the retention of the Wednesday half-holi-s'day lias been convened for Friday even'i'ng next. "The ' conveners are. Messrs. ,Tlios. Busli (Union Clothing Co.), .A. A. George (of George and George), Tlieo. Queree (of Queree Bros.), Len. M'Kenzie, '.Herbert Seaton,' and Cole's Cash Drapery , Co. , ' '