SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8491, 20 July 1907, Page 3

SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY

MATTER DISCUSSED BY THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The question of a universal Saturday half-holiday was discussed at some length at the meeting of the Masterton Chamber of Commerce, yesterday. Mr B. J. Dolan moved the following: motion, of which he had previously given notice:—"That in the , opinion of this Chamber, a universal Saturday half-holiday is desirable." Mr Dolan said he did not think he owed any apology for bringing forward a matter which greatly concerned the members of the chamber. The Chamber of Commerce represented the largest wholesale businesses in the town, and the day was fast approaching when a uniform half-holiday would prevail. He had made enquiries from the wholesale business people in the town, and it seemed that they were all in favour of a universal Saturday half-holiday. The banks observed Saturday as their half-holiday, and it behoved the wholesale houses to close their <3oors on the same day. All he had said in favour of Saturday was from a business point of view. Now from a holiday point of view, Saturday was undoubtedly the best day for the halfholiday. The Saturday half-holiday, together with the Sunday following, provided a good week-end relaxation from business. The retail business people were not so emphatically in favour of Saturday half-holiday as the wholesale people. It was not so much the business people themselves who were adverse to Saturday; it was considered that the country people might find it hard to accustom themselves to the change in theweekly half-holiday. The speaker contended that the country people were only prejudiced against any change in the day for the half-holiday. It was a well-known axiom in political economy that the supply had to keep up to the demand. There would be the same demand if the day for the observance of the weekly half-holiday were changed, and business people would still have to supply that demand. With regard to the shops keeping open on one night in the "week he did not think there would be • any dislocation in business if the shops kept open on Friday night instead of Saturday. A well-known had said tohim that it would be quite impossible for him to close his shop on Saturday. The speaker would not deny that for it was quite ■reasonable that some shopkeepers, notably those that stocked perishable goods, should be exempt from a Saturday half-holiday. There would, of course, if a universal Saturday halfholiday became law, be a schedule of businesses that would be exempt from the observance of a week-end half-holiday. Mr Dolan went on to say that the half-holiday was now ob • served in Masterton on Thursday. The employees indulged in various sports on that day, and more often than not they returned to their shops on Friday morning unfit for work. On the whole he considered that a universal Saturday half-holiday was desirable. Mr T. G. Mason seconded the motion. He said that from his own personal experience he thought Saturday was the best day for the halfholiday-. The half-holiday was fixed ■ to suit the district, and he asked why should not the half-holiday be ob- - served on the day which was the best -for the holiday? A holiday was wantetl at the end of the week, not on a Thursday. Mr J. Caselberg moved as an -amendment "That it is desirable that the half-holiday be observed on Thursday as at present." He advanced -the following reasons:— (1) The dislocation and inconvenience to trade caused by observing Saturday a3 a half-holiday will mean a serious loss to a majority of the business people in the town in nearly every line of business, the banks and stock i agents excepted, as the farmers and country people have been so used for , years to making Saturday a market • day, and arranging their work accordingly; (2) that it would take the farmers a very long time to fall in with such a drastic change, and the Joss caused thereby would have a • detrimental effect on town values, and consequently a bad effect on the town; (3) the intention of the Legislature in deciding upon a weekly halfholiday was to make a break in the week in the interests of the employees, as at the time the Act was passed there was a big outcry about keeping the shop assistants in close and stuffy shops for six days out of the seven, to the detriment of their ihealth. At the same time in order not to unduly interfere with the business people it was left optional with each town to have the day which suited best, and which he maintained in Masterton was certainly not Saturday; 4) the majority of the employees prefer Thursday for their halfholiday, as it makes a break in the week which ivas anticipated by the Act; this is particularly noticed when the holiday is altered for some reason or other to Monday or Tuesday in some towns. If the day is altered from the middle to the end of the week, the object of having the half - holiday is partly defeated. Mr Caselberg went on to say that the Labour Unions, who appeared to be at the bottom of the agitation in favour of the Saturday half-holiday, would of •course not suffer or be inconvenienced in any way, as the majority of them have always observed their half-holi-day on Saturday. It was patent to all, that the Government was indirectly trying to force all business people to observe Saturday as a universal halfholiday, by making the Factories' and Shops and Offices' Acts clash. The result of this clashing had at present a very harsh and unjust effect on those people working under both Acts. He considered that some alteration would have to be made. These Acts could easily be amended, so that the same employer could work under both without suffering any loss or annoyance. For instance if an employer is carrying on several businesses under the same roof which brings him under both Acts he should be given the option of declaring which day to give his employees their weekly half-holiday. The speaker thought this was only fair,

as the people mostly affected pay their employees for the weekly halfholiday, whereas members of Labour Unions at present observing Saturday are not paid for their half-holiday. Mr W. B. Chennells asked if the motion was carried would it mean that Saturday would be the half-holi-day in Masterton. Mr Dolan replied that the motion was only an expression of opinion from the Chamber. j Mr J. Graham, ih seconding the J amendment, said that no doubt there were reasons in favour of the Satur- ' day half-holiday, but there were reasons against it. He referred to labourers in the country who came j into town on Saturday and cashed • their cheques and did their shop- ! ping. It would be unfair to these men if Saturday were observed, as the holiday. Mr Mason suggested that pay-day ; should be changed to Wednesday <o get over the difficulty mentioned by Mr Graham. 1 Mr J. C. Ewington congratulated Mr Dolan upon bringing forward the motion. He expressed himself as heartily in accord with the motion, j He, referred to the fact that a few j months ago, in his own business, ' the half-holiday was changed to Saturday. Still farmers were able to do their business with him and were not inconvenienced by the change. Mr Chennells said that personally he was in favour of the Saturday half-holiday, but he considered that whatever motion was passed at the meetiner would not further the movement. It appeared to him that the • question of a change in the half-holi- j day was a personal one, and those present would only vote in whatever direction the change affected them. It was not fair that this should go : forward as an expression of opinion from the townspeople. The motion was then put to the meeting, and carried by seven votes to two, Messrs Caselberg and Graham | dissenting. j It was then decided to forward j copies of the resolution to the Minis- ; ter for Labour, the member for the j district, and the other Chambers of Commerce in the colony. I