CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 March 1921, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE.

STRATFORD HALF-HOLIDAY. (To the Editor.) Sir, —Your Stratford correspondent may or may not have reported idle talk having mo connection with the first Thusday Half-holiday Association, but having received notice from that union of their second meeting, and having attended same, I am able to assert that the report in the Daily News having reference thereto omitted information which, if only in fairness to our present Mayor, should be made public in an open manner allowing of refutation. As part of the omitted matter was, I subsequently found, printed in the Stratford Evening Post, and as permission to obtain thig information was givqn on the strength of the meeting being public, I am concerned in that your paper did not print matter on which many are still unenlightened. Matter omitted refers to the manner in which the Saturday half-holiday was obtained. By a show of hands the association uncovered the fact that certain tradespeople had been overlooked when signatures were canvassed for by the council in connection with the half-holiday being changed to Saturday.—l am, etc., BRITISH BORN.

[Our Stratford correspondent, 'to whom we referred the complaint, explains the matter as follows: At the meeting of the Thursday Half-holiday Association, Mr. Sturm asked if the Mayor or Borough Council had sent a man round to collect signatures to the original Saturday requisition, and Mr. A. Rawles, the chairman, replied that a man had gone round for signatures, but the retailers did not take 4 the matter seriously, as they did not think the Mayor would do what he had done. Mr. Sturm then asked for a show of hands as to how many of those present had been asked to sign the petition, and, in response, eight hands were held up. I did qot report this portion of the meeting because I did not consider the matter of sufficient importance, it being common knowledge that the petition referred to was the one circulated by Mr. A. J. Davey, and signed principally by shop and office assistants. Mt. Davey was not paid for his services, and was not engaged by the Mayor' or councillors. The reason why only eight of those present were asked to sign the petition was because it was a petition from assistants only.]