HALF HOLIDAY QUESTION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 80, 30 April 1909, Page 2

HALF HOLIDAY QUESTION

By Teiegniph.—Press Association. (Jlirischurch, Last Might. Mr \. F. Carey, one of tin- managing committee i» connection with the Thursday hull-holiday, when asked by u newspaper renrescntative to express oil behalf of the" committee his opinions on yesterday's poll, said that from the pois'it of view of the retailers, and he believed also from that of the community guiwrnllv. the result was most gratifying, assuming the eorreetness of the statement made by a Saturday supporter to the effect that there are 3000 shop assistants in the city, and alsU that the greater proportion were in favor of Saturday The result of the combined roll showed that a little over five hundred of the general public supported the end ot th c week for the half-holiday, 'the committee knew, however, that a large proportion of the shop assistants did not favor 'Saturday. "We reckoned from the start," continued Air. Carey, "when it was estimated that 50110 voters in the eitv were ill favor of Thursday, that we could carry the poll. There was we believed, an underlying feeling throughout the contest that the submission of the issue to the popular vote was an unwarranted interference with | business, an interference that was resented bv public, and employers alikv. I was approached by one of the officers of the Saturday organisation yesterday that the two organisations should combine and work for a universal Thursday half-holiday. I want to say that ir that is to be considered an official suggestion, speaking for myself, and I think I voice the feeling of retailers generally, I am absolutely against interfering with the arrangements of other employers. I would regard it as the height of impertinence on our part to interfere with tile arrangements of other employers in the same manner that we looked upon interference of outsiders with our arrangements."