The Feiling Star. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10,1892. The Half-holiday Movement

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 61, 10 November 1892, Page 2

The Feiling Star. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1892. The Half-holiday Movement

We notice that the employes have moved in several of the large centres and have partially succeeded in having their weekly half holiday on Saturday afternoon. Not unnaturally the Wanganui country residents have complained of this, and we think that they have justice on their side. It is urged that country farmers have far more right to be considered than the shop assistants. They are far more numerous and have much harder work to do, Tend numbers count for something now-a-days. Really the best day for the half holiday is Wednesday, if those who provide the means for country-town's tradesmen to live are to have any consideration shown them. The tradesmen are dependent ' upon the farmers, while the latter are practicully independent of everybody. Latterly they have been showing their knowledge of that fact by forming alliances and associations for their joint and several benefit, which have been, and are, singularly successful when we remember how little inclined agriculturalists and pastoralists are to pull together. Even in the present instance it is the " pressure from without" which has made them combine, and not from any special or geaeral desire on their part either to enter into competition, or to oppose tradespeople in the towns. Butif the latter show no desire to meet them, or even to consult with them in a matter where their personal conveniences are so much involved, surely the farmers cannot be blamed if they strike out a path for themselves. Fortunately for this town and district Wednesday has been chosen as the day for the half holiday, and it works very well. At first there was a little grumbling, but now complaints are not so frequent, and in another few months they will not be heard at all. The advocates of the Saturday half holiday appear wilfully to ignore the fact that the whole object of the privilege was to break the dreary monotony of the week's work, and for no other reason. We firmly believe that Wednesday will ultimately be the day adopted all over the colony as the best suited for all trades and occupations.