THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1721, 11 April 1913, Page 5

THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

NO CHANGE FOR TWO YEARS

TOWN CLERK'S OPINION.

According to tho Town Clerk's interpolation of tho Shops nud Offices Act, the rejection of the petilioir'askiug Hint a poll of electors lie taken to determine the day for the observance of tho half-holi-dny settles tho question for at least, two years. Mr. E. J, Carey made'a statement to a Dominion reporter, which was published yesterday morning, jo (he effect that if a majority of tlio councillors returned were Labour candidates, the observance at tlio hull-holiday on Saturday could bo mado compulsory in another way. Mr. Carey said; ■ "It must bo remembered that tho deciding of tho weekly half-holiday by a poll of electors is only an optional way of determining . that. holiday. . \Viiero no poll is taken, then tho day of the weekly hall'-holidny is fixed by delegates from the boroughs'and from the city 1 council within ■ a combined district, with respect to that combined district. Tho Act provides that each borough shall send ono " delegate, and that tho City Council . shall be represented by. delegates, (ho number of whom shall exceed by ono the total number sent.by r all the-bor- ■ oughs, apart from tho city council within the combined district." _ Asked yesterday as to whether Mr. Carey had read tho Act aright, tho Town Clerk (Mr. J. E, Palmer) quoted Sub-sec-tion 11 and 12 of Section 17 of tho Shops and. Offices Act', which deals wholly with tho determination, of tho half-holiclay by a poll of electors, and by no other method. Following is tho test of the two sub-sections:— "On and after tho first' day of June following the gazetting of any such appointment (by a poll), tho day so appointed shall be tho statutory closing day for tho district in respect of which such appointment is made, and shall continue.io bo tho 'statutory closing day for that, district until another day is appointed in accord- ! unco with the foregoing provisions of this section. . "Until and unless tho statutory closing day is determined and appointed in accordanco with this section, it shall bo determined and appointed in ' manner provided by tho preceding sections." And Sub-section d of tho same section us as follows: . '" " ' * "Every such requisition (for a poll) shall be so presented at a timo-which ■ is not less than oho month, and not more than three months beforo tho. day fixed for a general'election of the ( members of the local authority to . which such requisition is presented." . . "This means," said Mr. Palmer, "that the petitioners will havo to 1 wait another two years before they can . get a-, poll taken. Tho Act provides for a poll being taken onco in two years, and they-havo an opportunity .''of sanding in a requisition during one period—not less than one month, una not more than three nioiilhs before tho day fixed for a general election of the members of tho local authority—in the two-yearly period. Tlie law is that after the day has been onco appointed by, a poll, it continues to be the day until another day has been similarly appointed. Wednesday was fixed as-tho half-holiday by a poll two years ago, and Wednesday must remain tho appointed day until another requisition is presented before the next general election, two years hence, and a poll is taken to appoint tho day again," . ,