MONDAYISED HOLIDAYS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2165, 2 June 1914, Page 6

MONDAYISED HOLIDAYS

OPINIONS IN FAVOUR. (By Teleffrapti.—Prtas Ag3ociatioa/ Christchurch, June I.' . The old .proposal that when public holidays fall 011 week days other than Monday tliey should be observed on the next following Monday was revived at the Inst quarterly meeting at the Chamber of Commerce, when, on tbe motion of Mr. J.. 0. Jamieson, a. resolution was carried suggesting that tliat course Should bo adopted. This morning a reporter interviewed )i number of local people interested to Isee what they. thought of. the.proposition. Very early in the investigation it was 'discovered that a remedy could bo effected only by legislative action, p.uite apart from tbe operation of the Public Holidays Act of 1910 tbe granting of holidays is governed'in a great number of cases' by awards of the Arbitration Court. In the Canterbury district thero are nearly 70 awards wbieh Want the King's Birthday as a holiday. A strong supporter of the change ,vas found in Mr. Qyrus Williams, of the ;:Lyttelton IJarbour Board. "The mid-week ' holiday,"' he declared, "upfcets everything. In a,big business yon have a. fixed day for the operation of Various branches of your business, and Important matters are generally fixed for tho middle of the. week. The midweek holiday interfcre'6 drastically with Buch arrangements, and spoils tbe whole 'of the week from the general business point of view. A Mondrfy holiday disturbs things less than a holiday- upon nny other day, and it is now being genrrally adopted in Australia.' Both from the omployers' noint of .view, and from that of. tho employees, the Monday holiflny is an advantage, and an Act, of Parliament could surely bo devised to tuake tho necessary alterations. Even in tho ease of the King's .Birthday a postponement would do 110 harm. Even from sentimental reason if it falls 011 a Sunday our expression of loyalty has to be postponed to next day", and 110 harm is done." Another supporter of tho change was found in Mr. D. Main, president of the f'rocers' Association. He said that ho thought that the change would be advantageous, and would in no way affect the retail trade. "It gavo tho employees.a longer week-end, and that Ivotild, ..in overy way, he appreciated, from the point of view of labour. '' Mr. TT. Hunter welcomed the nrinciple of Motidayisinf holidays. "I have no objection to holidays being observed on Monijav," he sajd. "In tho interests of : all parties it would be an ndVanfage. So far as the Sovereign's Birthday is concerned, we aro at present hound, because the awards give us that as a miblic holiday, and make 110 provision for taking it on a Monday except when it falls 011 Sunday. A loi>2 .week-end, such ns is afforded bv a holiday on Monday, is a benefit to both employers and employees, as it givrH a. longer spell." Other jieople poncerned in "the grorrry and butchery trades were inclined lo agree that the Monday observance r>f holidays was preferable to one ill the middle of the week. .Nouo"tlioucrht that the difficulty of Securing'' supplies to last from midday, 011, Saturday till Tuesday morning was ah' insuperable bno.