SECOND EDITION Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] FRIDAY. DECEMBER 21, 1894. THE HALF HOLIDAY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4908, 21 December 1894, Page 2

SECOND EDITION Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] FRIDAY. DECEMBER 21, 1894. THE HALF HOLIDAY.

Tiie half-holiday question has to be faced, and it is very desirable that the decision which mustnow be made should be in the best interests of the community. Tho Borough Council is the referee iu determining the issue, and it is expedient that the body beforefixing the day, should bo put in possession of all considerations material to tho question. Employes are undoubtedly favourable to a Saturday half-holiday, and employers lean to a Thursday afternoon closure, but the general public outside these two classes are entitled to form and express an opinion, and now is the time for them to exercise their privilege. We have always deprecated legislative interference with industrial pursuits, as in a small community like tin's such action generally does' more harm than good; but the legislature has inter-: f erred, has laid down a law which is now binding up the colony, and we have'to accept the new rule, The legislature ought to havo taken, the bull by the horns and decided that a certain day in tlie week should be the statutory half-holiday throughout New Zealand; but it had not the courage to face this difficulty, and has relegated it to tho local bodies of the colony. The local bodies in their turn .will endeavour to solve the problem by ascertaining the trend of public opinion within their respective areas, Thequestion then arises as to what iu this town is publio opinion. '['. It .would, we be lieve, be desirable in Masterton for a publio meeting to be called, at which the question could be fully and fairly discussed. The decision of such a gathering would not necessarily settle the question, but it would enable- the Borough Council to arrive at an intelligent decision on the subject. The main objection we see to tho Thursday half-holiday is that a very large section of the community takes Saturday afternoon as a time for recreation arid the town is threatened with two half-holidays in the week, ■ Times are bad just now and if employers and. employes are to earn' a living arid'make both ends nieet the hours of recreation cannot be unduly extended.' The Legislature favours a Saturday half holiday although it does hot make one ■ compulsory, and tlie Miuister for Labour, does' not! conceal 1 his intention of making Saturday the fixed date as sboii'as public opinion will permit him toHake snob a step. Saturday may bo regarded as the half-holiday of tho future and any other day is pvaotically a. tempprwy alternative, When Saturday doe's: conio to lie bed there.iwill be (necessarily'. some ; fe-aiTangemehfa'pf workaiidwages. . Probably Friday'ior'-Monday will .be. the,'! shop paradei;night, : .|.s, i inattei , s."now'standl Ihe .I/egislatare;has|;fow?dv an :es- j

tiemely difficult choice on tlie community, and whatever km is taken considerable inconvenieuco has to be faced In Masteiton we do not consider -that, even the -Thursday., half-holiday - has been a success',. : even, from 'the tradesmen's point of view. On that day country people do not come into< the town, and the whole day, instead of a. moiety, of it, is spoiled for business purposes.-' Though shops have been closed on that afternoon, public offices and Courts of law have been open, so that half the community has been at work while the other half has been at play, IfThursday be the - legal; lialf holiday in MasWtou, and Wednesday in will have': a;-difficulty! in arranging liis Gourfc fixtures. .'He will be unable to sit itf-Masterfon on. Thursdays, and.'iri, Carterton on .Wednesdays. This -is ■only.piie of the many complications -that must necessarily arise under' the new Act.:,'. We are not at present expressing a decided opinion iu favour,ofeitjierThurs-. day or of Saturday us a half holiday. We would like, before' doing so, to get some information from all classes of people in tlie community as to their wishes and requirements, and believe that a public meeting on the question would be the most likely method of gathering this desk-able information.