SUNDAY WORK.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 41, 7 October 1867, Page 249

SUNDAY WORK.

To the Editor of the Hawke’s Bay Times.

Sir,—J have lately seen in, the, New Zealand , newspapers a.report of a debate iti our Colonial Parliament on the propriety of legalising Sunday , amusement and' work—in other words, of desecrating the Sabbath, as far as New Zealand legislative action could do it—the catchword used being duck-shooting. I address you, sir, to ask for admittance for my com mi un icaiion into your columns , because I be~ lieoe that if not worthy of a place you will cast it away with your other waste paper, and not disgrace your own paper in attempting to disgrace me, by lucubrations of pointless pretensious wit, or the usq of low language, contemptible and beneath all notice. If I advance erroneous or foolish assertions or observations, lam justly worthy of reprehension or correction, without the smallest show of favor or affection ; but for the credit of free, full, and manly discussion, let it be carried on in the language of .men—of gentlemen—and not in that of the back-slums or nobbier-shops. In this advocacy of all the pleaders for the legal throwing open of the Sabbath to the unrestricted use of idle and ill-regulated people , there appears to be a grievous mistake made in hauling into the argument the pretence that so doing would he beneficial to the interests of the laboring population,. On the contrary, it would be their greatest curse. I beg to sag in passing, that in pleading for the reasonable retaining ofthe sanctity of the Sunday, I propose do make use of few or none ofthe arguments in-its favor derived from, its religious use, but purely some of. the various points, in which such sanctity preserved is beneficial to the animal, i.p., the material welfare of , man. None of the advocates for duck-shooting or desecration in our parliament rose any higher, and scarcely approached even to that: ’

Now, Sir, in devising ■ rules-for the direction, of laborers generally, by which, they should be guided in their necessary endeavor so to husband their tabor as on the average to obtain . the greatest returns therefrom , consistent with the preservation of health and strength'; the first guest ion would be, Shalt continuous daily exertion be made, or shall there be periods for rest at certain recurring times or days ? This point appears to have been raised before the time 6f Moses, and the ancient Egyptians are said to have rested on the tenth day, and on the saiiie principle—that rest is reguired at intervals for the laborer to -recruit his strength. In the Mvine laws delivered to Moses at Sbiai, the seventh day .was ordained to; be a day of rest, a> thie rule- has been universally adopted ,by civilised nations ., Its uninterrupted prevalence for more than 3,800 years sufficiently attests its wisdom. Everyman who tias had,to.do:withlabor. or laborers knows that more work is performed by this means than could be performed by every day's continuous working. Wortdng men who really do work, will tell you the samel ’ The farmer, even in harvest lime, will tell yon that his crops will be housed beii&r and more‘surely by the man having the weekly day of rest, than: they would . if they continued the four or Jive weeks without this cessation. It is the same with the horses employed, which notwithstanding their Sunday restings must occasionally, if in full employment, have days and weeks of extra rest, and be turned, out for a time. But this periodical day of rest if of 'injitiif e value to the poor or laboring man -who has a wife and family. It is the only time that he has to enjoy the comfort of home avid to luxuriate in the exquisite pleasures ofthe company of his wife andfamily: Oh this day he can know his children. Oil this 'day he can truly educate them, and inculcate in their minds and souls the necessity of truth and honesty und trust'in, themselves; but above all in God. The teaching of, children.-at school is necessary, but O ! how far beneath the teaching and example of the honest, sober, truthful,industrious, and virtuous parents. But all. these things are beneath the attention of your New Zealand parliament ;-according to their notions the plunging about in a swamp up to their middles on the Sunday to pick up woundedfowls; rewarded by some pay and many nobblers, would be one portion ofthe duckh unter's- iasfc, - and more to their purpose.But one is driven to ask. Whence come the people who require these alterations of the flaws. .Certainly not from our laboring classes . I see it asserted that men are hanging about our nobbler~shops 0)1 thfd duck-shooting would employ them better anil remove, the nuisance. How thoroughly destitute of an argument must a man be when he is driven jo-talk thus. Buck-shooting can last but.a few weeks inthe year, and it is necessary to have a gun audio be a pretty good , shot before it is wor.th n.man s while, to attempt to shoot for’himself. 'Nor do lbelieve ihat we have these about, ourpublic-houses“dn iSundays; though there are tod many. Sunday diinkers. ■But one most sapiept argument appears to be\ as people boil.eggs on. Sunday,.and., thus, kill-em-bryo chickens, , injtefianc&of!aw}.publid opinion,, eleei dupjcs'musijbe shot bn Sundays: ~ This is not, f hotveever, altogether the ihe bog 3 df' absurdityfir one-hon&rable meniber;• admitted that ledge classes of:the community objected to * Sunday'-'desecration; yet considered, this was g reason why.the restriction shouldbefemoved. . 'J-.'7; * said' about Christmas Bay and Good Fridayfji/ifg so: utterly nonsensical a& nct io be worth exposwe dr refutation.—lam, , ' -■ Ut-Qctbbcr, 1867* ’ ' 1 \- ■ • i'¥■''S' 'V'" r ‘! ’! “