INDUSTRIAL HOLIDAY

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 27, 27 October 1942, Page 4

INDUSTRIAL HOLIDAY

Long Weekend Generally Observed SHORT DISTANCE TRAIN TRAFFIC HEAVY The first public holiday since Labour Day last year was observed yesterday by many factory and industrial workers who have enjoyed almost none of the usual holidays during the last 12 months. In accordance with the wish of the Government that workers who have had • few holidays and have worked extensive overtime should have one long weekend, those on the home front generallj’ were not at work yesterday. Contrary to the usual practice, war industries and defence construction works continued without interruption on Good Friday and Anzac Day, so that many felt the holiday was long overdue. The only industry officially excluded as a whole from the observance of the holiday was timber-milling and associated undertakings which, will make good during the rest of this week the time lost by yesterday’s break. One effect of the general observance of the holiday will be the absence of vexed problems of overtime which have previously arisen when work was ordered on statutory holidays. Formerly work done on Labour Day was paid for under most industrial awards at triple rates, but orders in essential undertakings have varied the rates of pay and at the end of last year reduced triple rates in all cases to double time where award conditions applied. Workers such as employees in hotels, theatres, and racecourses, normally engaged on the holiday, have since been given the right to apply for exemption from the blanket clause and are entitled to triple rates. . It is safe to say that for a greater number of Wellington people than usual the weekend was spent at home or in the vicinity, and it was not’only the rain during the morning that was responsible. However, train traffic for journeys under 100 miles was heavy, and additional trains were run on both the Wairarapa and Manawatu lines. An extra train ran to Palmerston North on Saturday and an additional train on both Friday and Saturday to Masterton. Two extra trains ran from Masterton to Wellington yesterday. Race trains were well patronized and, because of the shortage of petrol, carried over 3000 people more on the two days than last year. Beaches were well patronized, particularly on Sunday, when buses and ferries to those on the eastern side of the’harbour were -thronged. Many people visited the Newtown Zoo yesterday afternoon, but the cancellation of the sports at Newtown Park was credited with reducing the attendance below that on Labour Day last year. ■