The Wairarapa Daily TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1880.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 574, 21 September 1880, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1880.

A Correspondent has drawn attention to a manifest evil in Masterton, viz., the deprivation of the meaiis of mental and physical relaxation under which many business employees suffer, From time to time this question is nused-in all populous towns, and usually with very little result. Employers in Masterton have to work against business competitors who do not engage assistants, and who," consequently, are under no obligations to employees, We believe employers of labor in the leading stores of Masterton would willingly closeat 6 or 7 p.m., provided non-employers in a similar line of business would do the same. It is, however, impracticable to' secure unanimity among non-employers, and consequently it does not do for an employer to close at, say 7 p.m., while a non-em-ployer who competes with him keeps open three hours later, The sympathies of the public—i.e. of the customers—have, on more than one occasion, been appealed to, that they might remove the evil by refusing to purchase after a certain hour, but we need hardly say that no benefit has been obtained from this source. We are of the opinion that a certain amount of relaxation is necessary for all persons, more especially for the young, and we regard it as a misfortune that employees should have to work from, say 8 a.m. to 8 or 10 p.m. all the year round. Under such a system they cannot do justice to their employers. A certain amount of physical health and energy is essential to all good work, and if this be not obtained in the fresh air employers and employees both suffer, With long hours, the only relaxation to which employees are in many instances likely to resort would be the billiardtable or the card room, This, while it afforded some chauge to. .the mind which has been concentrated on business throughout the long clay, will not restore physical stamina or lay the foundation of good habits in young persons. We would be glad to see a means provided which would enable all young persons to enjoy once a week a game at cricket or some other healthy outdoor amusement. We admit that an employer cannot,'as things are, close his establishment one or two evenings a week, but we do not see why, on one or two slack evenings each week, he could not permit one-half of his staff to take a holiday. By such an expedient he could give all his employees a little relaxation without losing custom, and his reward would be that he would be better served by his men coming back to their work fresh and lively instead of worn out and jaded, We commend the suggestion to the leading business houses in Masterton, and trust that it will receive the careful consideration of the proprietors of them.