The Waipa Post. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1911 THE HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION.

Waipa Post, Volume I, Issue 43, 12 September 1911, Page 2

The Waipa Post. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1911 THE HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION.

A PETITION has been circulated for signature amongst the business firms of the town in favour of the weekly half holiday in Te Awamutu being held on Saturday instead of Wednesday. This petition, it is understood, is being freely signed. The best day on which to hold the weekly half holiday has .long been a vexed question, and for years has engaged the mind of almost every town and hamlet, without much, if any, headway being made in establishing which or what is best for all concerned, in either town or country. It has always, and under our present social system always, prove a difficult question to solve, but because it has hitherto appeared hard of solution that is no proof that any eventually insurmountable difficulties exist. That the obstacles in the way of a satisfactory settlement are formidable cannot be disputed. There are two factors militating against a satisfactory settlement, neither of which can be entirely removed, but both are reducible, though much time and education will be required in the reducing. The one is "self interest," the other is "custom." Self interest will always obtain in this as in everything else so long as we accept and believe that self preservation is the first law of Nature. This surely is a heathenish conception of Nature's wish and intention. In the animal it may be the first law, but surely not in man. The preservation, protection, and consideration ot our fellows is properly decreed by Nature as the first law of humanity. This has been recognised and laid down by all the great teachers from Confucius clown. It is the bedrock and both ends and the middle qf C/imManity, yet unfortunately, in all so-called Christian countries, it is the least regarded or respected of Christianity's tenets. Time, however, heals all things, and, with other ills, the gangrene of selfishness will slowly but surely give place

to healthy growth. The other obstacle —custom- —is a big problem, but of the two is the easier solved and overcome. With two such barriers in the way it will be readily admitted that the final general settlement is yet a long way off. As things stand in the present state of our social system the interests of the three sections concerned —the employer, the employe, and the client —are not identical, nor will they be till there is a much greater development of our sense of right and wrong, or duty or fair play, or whatever term is preferred, which is Nature's great and only dividing line between the man and the animal. But why should not these interests be identical ? The best results will not be obtained till they are. Can they be made so, and can these difficulties be overcome in our time ? No, unfortunately, they can not, though we can help, and ai - e helping, though somewhat tardily* towards their solution. Then, if they cannot be immediately solved, what in the meantime is best to be done ? If it were possible to get a concensus of opinion of all residents where half holidays are in vogue there is no doubt but that the verdict would.be in favour of Saturday, but—and the kernel of the whole thing lies in the " but " —" it cannot be on Saturday, as that would not pay, either in cash or convenience, as it would disorganise our business' and domestic arrangements." There may be a cause for the " but," but there is no logic in it. To us, then, it seems clear that for any single community to set out to right this wrong —the wrong of cutting . a working week of five and a half days into two bits —will carry with it the certain sacrifice and loss that accompanies the righting of any wrong to the one setring out to fight or right it. The Question,- then, is : Should we — or, rather, can we —in Te Awamutu afford to make that sacrifice ? This may appear a narrow way of looking at it (for right is always right, and should be worked for), but is it not possible that Te Awamutu may do herself incalculable harm by bringing about within herself this change of holiday from Wednesday to Saturday ? Seeing that we are almost entirely dependent for our existence on the farmer, who knows no other day than Saturday for his shopping, and also to the fact that we are now at that stage when by our acts of the immediate future we shall decide whether our population is to remain stationary or increase fivefold in the next few years, are we not so placed that in the commercial interests of our town we cannot afford to make the change, that its effect would at the present juncture be disastrous. That Saturday should be the universal half holiday for every trade and calling is indisputable. Instead of being the busiest day of week (as by custom it has become) it should be the cleaning up day, so that Monday instead of being with most people the muddly half-wasted day it is, could be made much better use of, and so put everybody half a clay ahead at the right end of and right through the week. But what should be, and what, in the light of local conditions is advisable are often two different things. It is to be hoped that the matter will be fully discussed in all its aspects before any decided action is taken.