MASTERTON DEBATING SOCIETY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1084, 27 May 1882, Page 2

MASTERTON DEBATING SOCIETY.

;1 The Maaterton.Dabatihs: Society was well attended lasUrening, Mr Grundy the President, occupying the chair,' ; - Mr Payton moved that an. application be made to the Institute Committee for the use of the upper room, on the same terms as the lower one on the condition that the Society placed furniture, lampß &o. in it. Ho pointed out that there were now some sixty members on the roll of the Society, and with a larger room the number might be further augmented and tHeir proceedings could be conducted with more decorum in a more commodious room. Mr Ford in seconding the resolution expressed his renrel at the inharmonious expressions of opinion that had characterised a recent debate, /Messrs Price, Woodronfe, and' DeCastro also epoke in favor of the motion which was carried unanimously. ' Mr DeOastro' then opened the debate "would the agitation of the early closing movement be injudicious or detrimental to this Society." He said that it had been suggested that the Society should operate on the public by means of tracts &c, to promote early closing. He objected to .the Sooiety forming itself into an early dosing association. It would be very injudicious for a society which consisted of employors and employees to interfere between master and servant. He claimed that moral suasion would never bring about an early closing movement. The question was one fur storekeepers rather thati for the general public to decide.

Mr Balkan asserted that Mr DeOaatro had miscoiißtruod the question. Maßterton shopkeepers were notorious lor late hours, more than forty-tso places of business in this town, employing oyer sixty hands, keeping open after 8 o'clock.. He had been informed that ten of the latter were members of their Society. It could not, he argued, be injurious to the Society to favor shorter hours of labor. There was nothing disreputable in hard work except when it became a kind of slavery. The average employee in late establishments worked from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Such young men after working eight or ten years broke down, fle advocated trying to restrain purchasers from entering stores after a certain hour in the evening. The employers were less to blame than the customers. Long hours of labor were not economical, and early closing, if once adopted, would prove no inconvenience to the public. The Society would benefit by early closing, as it would obtain addilional member* through this means, Mr Paytou thought the Society did not care two pins whether the discussion of the question was detrimental to it or no, but that members were anxious if possible to find a practical remedy for the evil. He suggested a "local option" power sLouldbe vested in municipalities by the legislature with respect to early closing in stores. Mr Price said that the Victorian Government hod taken up the question, and the evidence it had taken shewed that nothing short of an Act of Parliament would deal with the evil. It also shewed that local option would be as ineffectual as moral suasion. He pointed out how the operations of small shops would neutralise the action of larger ones, The medical evidence taken in Victoria indicated that the maximum hours of labor for men should be ten and for females eight. _ The early closing Society in Dunedin were moving in favor of an Act (if Parliament, and he hoped to see this agitation successful, Mr Hojjg viewed the question as one of supply and demand, Many people would like to have their hours of labor shortened, but they must comply with the demand made upon them. No man was a slave. He could take his labor wherever he could find the best market for it, Some people seemed to desire to live in a fictitious atmosphere, and he contended that the medical experts of Victoria talked at random. He had known some of the healthiest men, who i lived to advanced ages, work very long ] hours. Shops were kept open late he- • cause the public demanded late hours. The ' town would look very dismal if the shop ' lights were put out in the evening. Par- < hament worked till late at night, and ( even at places of amusement actors and actresses had to work long hours. Press hours were terribly long in many instances. No law could take in the various phases of the labor question, or place its hours under a selfish ban of restriction. The ftev Mr Isitt said he was glad to learn that storekeepers were so philanthropic as to keep their shops open late for the amusement of the public. They had to consider not only the physical, but ) the mental and spiritual welfare of employees. He admitted the difficulty in ; dealing practically with the question, but i he had never knownareform accomplished i which had not been brought about in ■ spite of obstacles. He quoted an .ir,.stance within hig jw a - experience at .Umm, 'where an hour each evening and an afternoon every Thursday had been gained by an early closing agitation. The movement was not a popular one, but their society was not living on sufferance, and if they could start an agitation that would benefit their fellow men,'by all means let them do so. He denied that so long as the supply of labor in stores was greater than the demand- thi question of early closing could be settlet on the basis of " supply and demand.' Mr Ford pointed out that the legisla t'ire had with advantage interfered wit! the hours of labor in England and might do the same in Now Zealand, In Englanc the shortening of the hours of labor was followed by better wages. He had been informed that it did not pay storekeepers very often the cost of lights to keep then stores open late. Mr D'Arcy advocated the discussion ol the principle of early closing, He pointed out the evil of late hours on young people, and said it was the duty of a Sooiety like theirs to protest against it. The Society should endeavor to influence publio opinion, He reported that a city firm in Wellington, which tried early closing, found that their business had actually increased since it adopted the practice, and he believed a similar experience would await any large storekeeper in'Masterton who tried the experiment. _Mr Barnard supported the shortening of hours of labor. If working men required to shop late they could make their purchases on Saturday nights. Mr Kay deprecated any interference by the Society in such a question. He pointed out that the classes which worked long hours had some very easy hours amongst them. Ho contended that higher wages and shorter hours had loslEngland much or its trade.

Mr Hall thought Mr Kay's reference to easy hours very ungenerous as coming from one whoso hours wore from 9 a.in. to 3 p.m., and who had a whole holiday on Saturdays He supported Mr D'Arcy m his argument that the storekeepers who limited their hoars of business were the most successful tradesmen,

Mr E, Brown pointed out that emt ployees were not in a position to defend themselvos, and it was only fair for a Society like their own to take'up their grievance, As for deprebating interference with the rights of labor, the oriminal classes, even on the same gronnd, migh deprecate any interference with 'their interests by the legislature. ■ '.' Mr DeOaßtrbin reply said that if •aployeei would not itiok up for their

own rights why should the Society do bo for them ? He believed In early closing but not in any interference with such a queitioi by the Society: ' The question was. then catriod in favor of Mr Bedtoan, five voting in the affirmative nad nine in the negative. The next question for discussion is "6ns for Masterton." Affirmative Mr Kay, negative Mi D'Arcy. Mr Kay. had the subjeot allotted to him by a ballot.