HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 72, 2 April 1913, Page 8

HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION.

STRATFORD RETAILERS WILL FIGHT SATURDAY.

The half-holiday question was keenly discussed last evening by a meetin;. of Stratford tradesmen, and a committee was set up to do all within its power to defeat the aims of tin advocates of a Saturday half-holiday. Tho President (Mr .Robert Masters) opened the meeting by summarising the position, and making out a strong case against the Saturday half-ho hhn movement. The Speaker stated that as they knew, a petition was to be presented to the Council asking foi a poll on tho half-holiday question, the electors would therefore Lave it in their power to decide what holiday they would observe for tho ensuing twelve months. This petition hat been inaugurated by the Taranak. Rugby Union. At the present time in Xow Plymouth, it seemed unfortunately to be the case that their clubs were not able to win any cup op account of a certain number o. players having their holidays on Sat archly, other players “got off” o: 1 hnrsdays. A few people interests in tnis sport deemed it advisable tc agitato throughout Taranaki in order to get a poll taken on the holiday quosdon. A large number of peopl 'who had signed this petition had been under the impression that they were signifying their approval of a universal half-holiday. Some of these people had informed him that if they had known that the holiday was not necessarily to be a universal one, thej .would never have signed the petition. However,' that was by the way. The biggest proportion of people who would be most effected by the change, would have no opportunity whatever of having any say in the matter—tho farm

ers wero those to whom ho referred, lire country people ho had interviewed on the question wero almost un variably in favour of tho presen Thursday half-holiday. It must I) remembered that Stratford depended solely on tho farmers for financia support, and yet the farmer had m say in this particular matter. hi Masters continued that there was on thing ho would ask members of tha mooting to impress upon people win intended to vote against the Saturda; half-holiday, and that was to suppori ! iiarr.d'vy and no other day. Ho showed, for example, that if 90 vote each wero cast for a half-holiday o> .Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, diiurr day and Friday, and 100 for Saturda; those ten people would carry the poi against four hundred and fifty oppos e:i to id The next phase of the sub ject touched upon by Mr Master was the possibility of Eltham carry ing tho Saturday holiday. Ho stated that ho had received letters i’ron business people in Eltham, and thos men wore quite convinced that tin Saturday half-holiday would not he carried in Eltham. They were using every effort to stop Saturday being carried, and were confident of success. Tf, however, Eltham did not carry Saturday and Stratford did their local citizens were “in tho soup” —that was plain enough. Tho law did not allow a poll to bo taken in tho counties, therefore, wo would have Midhirst, Tariki, Cardiff, Xgaere, Eltham, and Kaponga taking our Saturday trade. Practically the whole of Taranaki would bo open, while Stratford was closed. Tho fair-minded elector did not want anything of the kind. Mr Masters referred also to tho difficulty that would arise with those tradesmen whose employees worked under lr th the Shops and Offices’ Act. which provided for a rhurt'.day half-holiday and tin 1 Factories’ Act, which provid 'd for a Saturday half-holiday. The speaker went on to say that the Thursday half-holiday had been given to the people, because it was believed that every o»*o required a break in tho week so that rest could he obtained. That was Mr Seddon’s opinion, and the late statesman always hold that tho half-holiday in the middle of tho week would bo most beneficial to tho

employees. 7ho question arose whether the Saturday halt-holiday had been a success where it had boon tried. He. would say emphatically that it had nob been so. It was tried in Nelson, nut after twelve months, although it was in force all over the district, the electors went hack on it. In Napier it had been tried, and Die Saturday trade had gone to Hastings. Raglan was not long in reverting to its usual mid-weekly holiday. The tradesmen there found that instead of the fanners coming into town for goods, they strived on their farms, and sent away

to the big centres for their supplies, in IVaverley the business people found that the loss of business on Saturday did nob seem to be made up during the week. In Melbourne and Sydney, the Saturday half-holiday suited the “big men,” but the smal. tradesmen were opposed to it. Il

seemed to him that, so far as he know, in every place in New Zealand where Saturday had been tried, the electors had gone back on it. The question presented itself, were they prepared to try and experiment on this halfholiday, seeing that the other towns and found out it was not a success? Wore they prepared to shut their shops and leave Eltham and the counties with their shops open? Mr Masters concluded that lie thought inch a proposal should come from the business men, and not from a class of resident who thought sport tire whole aim of life, and suggested that a committee lie set up to carry into effect the sentiment expressed in the following resolution:—“That this representative meeting of Stratford business men is tirmly of opinion that the proposal to hold the weekly half-holiday

on Saurdays would be detrimental to the general interest and prosperity of the town, especially in view of the fact that adjoining town of Eltham might bo open on that day, and also that towns such as Midhirst, ToW,, Ngaere, Cardiff, and Kaponga cannoi even take a poll on the quoWoa. Closing on Saturdays would also seriously inconvenience the farming community,_ upon whose support the town so largely depends.” Mr R. 1). Lowers seconded the motion. Mr R. H. White said the idea of Saturday afternoon holiday was a vlaicnlous one, capable of doing great injury, though, personally, he did not think it would bo carried. In Wanganui the tradesmen had, years ago, been forced to fight against the fame movement. The retailers there were unanimously against the Saturday holiday, and, when they woke up to Die situation, they had to put thenhands into their pockets raise £3O and work. 7Vo-tiiirds of Stratford business came directly from the country people, and it was only right that the interests'of the farming community, who had no''direct feity ita the matter, should bo consulted: 11 - In conclusion, Mr White gave it as his opinion that the farmers would come in once a month or so when they were inclined, and the retails’ trade would bo cut into bv travellers.

Mr Sols said that a universal haltholiday would be one of the finest tilings that could happen, but it was no use experimenting in a naif -holiday unless the whole of Taranaki wore united. He pointed out that the arbitration awards Were all based on a Saturday’half-holiday, and there note many men in -this* town who, when they wanted to join in with other peonies’ holidays, had''to pay c or the afternoon they took off. Mr Sole commented on the absence of repier.ontativ'es of big firms, such as Newton King’s. These men did not seem to ho taking very great interest in the matter.

■ I Mr Robinson referred to the tiumj hers of people who live in this It-wu i but find employment outside of ii, { coming back To Stratford on Saturday to spend their week-end. A Saturday i half-holiday would upset these men’s I arrangements. He thought tneir first I consideration must bo the interests ol ■ those people who support our town, j Without the fanners, they might just j as well close up and get away ;oam- | where else. Tney depended upon the j farmers, who really owned the town. ] 7 hose people had been so used to goj ing into town on Saturday that they would resent any change ia their aiI rangements. In conclusion, .Mr Ro- [ binson said ho though it was carrying things n I.fit too far for a sports body to dictate to the commercial ’ men when they should close and when they should open. It was going a bit too far. also, when a sporting organisation should dictate against the best inter-e.-dj of our Dominion. (Applause.) The motion was then put to the meeting and carried. The following committee was elected ; -Mess;-,; R. Masters, R. 17. Waite, R. JL Anderson, H. J. Hopkins, C. ■ D. Sole, J. Masters, and R. H. Robinson. At the meeting of the committee, afterwards, arrangements wore made for raising a fund to fight the Saturday' movement.