CITY COUNCIL STAFF HOLIDAYS.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2460, 13 May 1915, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL STAFF HOLIDAYS.

A VIGOROUS PROTEST At the conclusion of tho business at tlio Krst liioetiug of tlio now City Council. tho Mayor (.Mr. J. I'. Luko) asked tlio council to grant tlio stall' the usual half-holiday. Councillor Fitzgerald: "What staff? The whole ol' the staff?" Tlio Mayor: "Tin; Town Hull staff— Uio office stall'. It is tlio usual privilege." Councillor Fitzgerald: "Why should Uie oliico staff enjoy this privilego?" Tin? Mayor: "1 would ask you to do this—it is tlio usual tiling. Labor 011 1 am to ask tho council to conaider fully the holiday question. One ul tho most unpalatable—that is not unite the word—questions to deal with was the question of holidays, and tha council should go right into the mat;er. Snoli cervices as tramways', electric lighting, street-cleansing, can't take an oiij holiday, whilst others got a stated time, off por year. 1 ask you lior. to disturb the-arrangement now. and to establish a system later on that will remove all friction." Councillor Fitzgerald: "I want to 'know if it includes the whole of tho staff. If not, I'm going to oppose it. Does it include the tramways and electric lighting clerical stalfs?" The Town Clerk gave the assuranco iliat it did. ■. Councillor Harbor said it must u® home in mind that many of the stalf worked back at night without being paid overtime. He thought it was a matter that might be left to tha Mayor. Councillor \Y. H. Bennett said it was a subject on which he felt very strongly. lie failed to see when the ordinary business of the city was being carried mi why the servants of tho council should consider it necessary to vacate the" offices'. He alluded particularly to tho 'department overlooked by the City Engineer. lie failed to see why people should have to wait another day, especially those concerned in the sani:ry department, the inspection of drains, and persons' depositing plans. The ordinary business of the c.ly went mi on St. George's and St. Patrick's Days, and on those days the council oflices should bo open for the convenience of tho people. He had known people who had open drains having to leave

item exposed for a day because they could not get the drain inspected, on account of it being a council holiday. Officers who got Good Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday as holidays at Easter should attend to their business on ordinary business days. Councillor, Hutcheson considered that holiday or no, the work had to be done, no matter how it was compressed. Provided lhat someone was left in charge at each office in which the public was concerned, he did not think that the precedent need bo interfered with; The motion to give the half-holiday was carried without dissent.