THE HALF HOLIDAY QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 17 September 1907, Page 3

THE HALF HOLIDAY QUESTION.

invi;ucau(.;uJj satisfied. I For Press Association. > invercargili, Last Night. A public meeting this afternoon considered a telegram from the Minister of Labor stating with regard to tlie half-holiday that no more option could l»e given than that at present existing, whereby the people may declare any holiday lor shops, lie had no intention fti' takii:g away the Saturday holiday from tluxwho have enjoyed it for years, lie was prepared to consider the question where it was shown a factory and shop were under one roof, but no further. Tlie meeting resolved to thank the Minister, and to advise him that if Tue right of factories connected with shops to close could be made to include Inveroargill, the shopkeepers would be satisfied, but urge, in the interests of the town, the general application of the option.

NEW PLYMOUTH EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATION.

REPRESENTATIONS TO TillMEMBER.

i imputation of MHiie twenty moral's of the N'.-w Plymouth Employers' ■isocimion met Mr ]|. Okey, il-IT-11., rstcrdiy morninjr :it the Town flail Ir Hal (!or<lacre (['resilient of the As iciation) took the chair. His Wor iiip the -Mayor (.Mr E. Doekrill), am Ir Malcolm, M.IU!. (Clutha) wer mongst those present. Jlr Doekrill briefly explained the ol eet of the deputation, which was t irotest against tile proposed amend nent of the Factories' Act, which wont lot at all achieve its o ireventing difficulties in the adjustinen if holidays for factories and shops com lined. There were shops in coniunc ion with factories which misrht iiisf. a veil close if the factories closed. I vas in the interests of all that shop nd factories should, in such eircujin tances, close on the same day. There ore the Association trusted "that M )kcv would represent to the Ministe he very great injustice which woufi if (lone, and the loss of tr ile tha could ensue to New Plymouth if tin iresent Factories Act Amendment Hi! cere carried. Mr .f. Whitabcr, s»crctarv i.f the ociation, said the immednti. reason to irinping the matter under Mr Okey'i lotice was a telegram rreeived frrm he Xew Zealand Federation of Employ r.s urging this branch to demand a! orations; otherwise the Hill was lfteh ogo through unchanged. jf r Okei lad been good enough to place the As oeiation's representations before tin .tinister recently, with the result tlm: he limit, it was nroinised, would be in reised to 7m. I!„t the Bill a< mended and brought. down \did no' irovide this relief. The ran had crent :d a very uncomfortable position fo] 'Very employer of labor in the town t was for the community as a wlioh hat the Association was most concern ■d, and it protested against the clause: hat would make dressmakers, millin ;rs, wheelwrights, etc., close on fi.tnr lay afternoons. J, ppopl „ wlln p:lm( n from the country found th.it the, wild not compete their business her, hey would have to find another dav tc ome into town or do their business ir he sma ler towns. Again, whilst X,-v lymon h would at present be benefit ed by the limit being increased to TalC protection might not hist von Mrg, on account of twe growing feeliiK '< N>W Zealand that troughs shonlii xtend their boundaries. ]f y cw pi,, louth extended its borough hat relief would be cast aside. F„;. her, the existence of snch a clnn=r flight be n restriction on the extension the borough boundaries. The nene a feeling was that if the option o? de idmg the half-holiday would be prefer. ■omin* l m Prc " fint form be ommg law; „ no half J]o|jtlnv >y all would be far better than having hinga upset by two market davs in «h week He had n0 dollbt hatever day was proclaimed, so long « It was.nn.versal, business would ZX ' ovo! a »>> "O harm '. ' W from the change. The i.ssoc.ation w 0 ,,1d ask Mr Okev to in ™ tl. Minister on the empl^ C'ml " m ' 7 it''" awi<li »"* of ot.he, - of the House llrov would he iT' 1 ' • "honW , h o ,Wl 'T ?ivin " «««««■ on e :izrt^;rr Mr Okcy commented on the wmt „ unanimity amon"sf |i, n ' . themselves. "

(be Factories Act ~n- «>ry «>ry to keep (Ilfi t „ r(lav b«t "o matter how large a fae(„n't KrtHv: 11 s, 7 ;n factory), and in (he ease of the l* an/1 Door Facforr if ti • '^ h Ac? tvZ rnr )"«■•> t «as wanfeT was for tin ,V' tlic'town'fo' 1 n " mV thp w ' lo, ' > Ho mentioned "th V- i 0 -re J' '"'tb Thnrsdav anT ' i of this Size , ketones „1 a )»»,, vaeeonnt of M ', ZZll? 1 r;: ;7u " lhn s »"tb without n Slril-V *3 he might . ■ no away too. as Mr Olror finffnr.ijsto/T Wwn*. surh p'L n "'" r m „ st ~1 n; ' """ the Yen. to. r l ,,allv m'eresterl or'tn ™ii"T- frt " C P, ' 0 " ,,, unite,! neuri t P j Vmpaf!l - v - brinr, is tor '"f " |,on «"> A'' n w'L T T, 1 <" their »o t i,;. (i ,!, , ,:u1v 0,^.,, T t 1 S h< ; -n, '■mil. and , , fl "' 7500 111,000. 'l'. % ''Xteinl i| [„

Mr \V. Amburv consider,.,i it i solution of the difficultv w , »»ry satnrdav l.alf „1 --I sufat 11' tlmt ft "Ot j j ■ . ' would moan the al* ■ ; ..t.on ot market day. The Sat - S,orsr w ,mv " tubo ' j -' » considerable niiiv ei>al Lnir COm, "" S """

i.'oodacre .. i tafion to the Minister fr,l,„' 'ill t e O'-vns interested and their r, t tyes m Parliament. A,aiM -''•toe ,ons 1,0 felt sure the Minister would not press tin; clause. ]| ( . sure that the Ho,, Mr Millar wonld sooner bring down a measure a men,led to suit requirements than to submit ■, Hill that would lie cut to pieces in committee.

Mr Okey said much could li.. dom- T, v combined action. "'There wn s little use in one or two working without support. Tf nil the mpinlx'ra inirr<- J _- fil were to present, a solid front, the and (iovernment alike, tlic Mini*).-r would sooner toe the lino. P;»rtiful;irly would ho pcp- the necessity I <>r jiL'mincr jf some of his own (f?o----vernnient) party were fifrhtinjr for the am-ndmeni. An Okey state,d thnt hp intended to n,,* Minister liiniscff and nr«re tlw .V-'i-r-niiinn's view-: hel'ore tll<> Bill 1 ii l-rfniv Parlinment. MY Mnlrni.n, Tr. ; h.dn- („ -nd (1... f, m , in hi* electorate; wits not inter-

cstcd, .lift it had unjlcr two thousand people. Ho approved the line of acliun taken by the • Association, and praised io give Mr Okey any assistance he could.

Cm tile motion of JNiessrs C. Carter aiai F. Newman, it was decided, That this meeting of'employers recommends that all towns outside the four centres nrs;e upon the Minister for Labor the meossity of making clause 9, sub-sec-tion i. of (lip Hill optional for both factories and shops and shops and factories combined.

J r Okov askod for an expression of opinion concerning the adoption of the universal Saturday half-holiday. The meeting declir.. 1 to do so, but left Mr Okey, as Mr Baker saijl, "to see a hole through a ladder." The meeting was favorable to a compulsory Saturday half-holiday for the whole colony, factories and shops alike.