THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 4938, 30 January 1895, Page 2

THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

MASTERTON DECIDES ON THURSDAY. A special meeting of the Masterton Borough Council was held last evening, all Crs being present, and His Worship the Mayor (Mr Ogo. Heron) presiding, for the purpoflpf determining upon what day the ownpulsory half-holiday shall be kept, The public portion of the Council Chambers was crowded by persons interested in the discussion, including several leading shopkeepers. The following petition, bearing on the matter, signed by 208 residents, shop assistants and business people, was read : To His Worship The Mayob and Couxctuoits or Tim Bohough of Mastkutox— It was evidently the intention of the Legislature, when they passed the Shop Hours Bill, that it was to heactit shop and other assistants, and in view of this intention, aud seeing that the other Wairarapa townships are favourable, we, the undersigned, would respectfully ask that the half-holiday he fixed for Saturday, so as to make it general in the Wellington district, (Here follow 208 signatures.)

A resolution passed bj the Wairarapa Liberal Association, as follows, was also read :

" That tliis Association, rcpreseuiuig oyer 100 inhabitants, is of opinionftt the Mastertou Borough Council should proclaim Saturday as the day for tho weekly half-holiday." The Mayor said that with regard totheLiberal Association resolution, although it was stated there was one hundred members, nothing was said as to the number present at the meeting passing the resolution, and it therefore could not influence tha Council. Mowing to the petition, he said it was very strangely worded, and hardly in accordance with fact. Certainly it was signed by a considerable number of people, aud they were entitled to some consideration, although it appeared that the Borough bad been canvassed in all parts to get thenumberof signatures.

Tho Clerk then read the names of all persons signing, and on reaching Cr Yates' name the Mayor interrupted to inform Cr Yates that ho had no right to sign a petition to the Council. Cr Yates: " Well, 1 signed that one, anyhow." The Clerk finished reading tuoM of names. Sf The Mayor then inoroti in accordance with his previous notice of motion that the half-holiday be kept in ilastorton on Thursdays as at present. Cr Muirie seconded the motion, Cr Cullen said the petition before them coidd not be ignored. It was signed by many inllnential men, and he felt, in spite of what Crs might think to the contrary, or what thoir personal feelings wove, that they must take notice of the petition. Ho would therefore move, as an amendmont.thattlioprayeroflhepetitioiiers be granted. He thought they would soon got used to a Saturday halfholiday.

Cr Chamberlain said he saw no reason to alter the day on which tho holiday was kept at present. Ho thought Saturday would be a bad day for very many people. Many workmen were paid on Saturday, and did their shopping in tho evening, and by altering the dayJJje Council would disorganise tvadoHi inconvenience a majority of tile residents in the district. "With regard to the petitiou itself, he had no doubt it had been presented to most of the business men in tho town, but the most of them had refrained from signing. He should vote against Saturday. Cr liomblow said if he consulted his own feelings, lie might vote for Saturday. But although opposed to tho half-holiday business altogether, they must carry out tho law. Ho sympathised with the shop-assistants many of whom were kept out of bed till 12 or 1 o'clock on a Saturday .night. CrHcssey: "That'sanew feature." Cr Hornblow: " Well it may bo to some people. I've had a lot to do with night work, and I know, If I had not been hard at work all day, and was not somewhat out of broath, I might put my views before tho Council at greater length, and— Cr Yates: " Pass Cr Hornblow the water bottle."

Cr Hornblow: " Thanks, Yes, I'll take a drink." A. Cr Hornblow having taken a went on to say that he believed he was right in stating that if those in favor of Thursday had got up a petition it would not have been so freely siguod as the one before the Council. He believed that a majority wero strongly in favor of Saturday. (Cries of" Question.") There was no question about the matter. He would not go so far as to say that Crs wero, studying their own interests instead of the public interest—

The Mayor: "That would bo a, very wicked thing." Cr Hornblow, continuing: ." lb would Your Worship." Still, he was sure that if Cr Hessey, for instance had not been so busy with his harvesting,' bo would have boen able to spend a little more time in town and find out what the feeling on the question really was, and ha must say that the opposition and arguments against Saturday, were in bis opinion, very weak and very lame, Tlio Act was plainly intended to benefit shop-assistanto and not shopkeepers, und thoy had to look at it from that point of view. Things would soon regulate thJm solves, and the man who wanted pound of sugar and could not buy it on Saturday, would get it on somo other day. He should vote in favor of a Saturday holiday. Cr Feist said he should vote for a Thursday half-holiday. He would liko to have been able to grant the prayer of the petitioners, bat ho thoughtto keep holiday on Saturday, would bo altogether too great an innovation. Had a public meeting been held ho felt sure that Thursday would have been the day aelected. Personally, it did not mateone bit to him which day was chosen and the whole thing appeared a humbug, as be did not see that a holiday in the week was necessary at all. But as matters stood be should vote for the Thursday holiday.

Cr Hessey said he was not in favor of making Saturday a halfholiday, as it would greatly inconvomonce settlers who could not lea* their farms at other times sowK He had no hesitation in saying that he could easily have got SOOsigiiatures to a counter-petition in favour of Thursday. Again, wore 250 people' to rule all the rest? The shop-as-sistants should bo very glad to get a weekly half-holiday withoutattoraptother people to inconveni. although he. did not think m^«?» ta » te had signed the petition bofoi'fl m Council. •; -He would point out that according to the Gazette, out of 19

local bodies fixing tho half-holiday, only two had chosen Saturday. This should be a guide for Mnstor'tou. Ho should vote against a Saturday halfholiday. Cr Hughes said lie thought the best way to look at the matter, was to tako the returns published in the Gazette. Outram and Greytown North were tho only two, out of 1!) M local bodies, to fix on Saturday, and ■ although Masterton was voted slow, surely they were not going to come down to the level uf the places named The Mayor said the argument was all in favor of Thursday. He would just point out, that Cr Hornblow, in one half of his speech, said he sympathised with tho shop assistants, althongh he did not believe in giving them any holiday at all. This was very inconsistent.

Cr Hornblow said that was not bo. What he said was, that they should not study personal feelings, but obey the law, and study the majority of thoso interested. The Mayor said most of tho tradesmen (and himself included), would very well like to have a half-holiday on Saturday, but lie thought a strong majority of the settlers and residents would be inconvenienced thereby, and the Council should therefore consider the general welfare CrCnllen thought the contention that because 17 out of nineteen bodies voted against Saturday, Masjfe tortonshould do the same, wasuttcrly absurd. Because 17 or 17,UU0 Boroughs did a wrong thing were they to do the same? He contended that the two bodies voting for Saturday hail done the right thing. (Cries of "No"and "Question"). The Mayor then put the amendment, which was lost, Crs Hornblow, Yates, Cnllcn and Wngg voting for

it, iiiul Hessey, Metric, Hughes, Chamberlain, Feist and the Mayor against. The Mayor at once put the motion fixing Thursday as the half-holiday, and declared it carried on the voices. Or Cullen rose indignantly remarking that His Worship had been too rapid. He wished to move another amendment. The Mayor: " You are too late Or Cullen, 1 liavc declared the motion carried." Or Cullen: ''Then Sir, You were too sharp. 1 think Monday morning would do as well as Thursday, and I wished to move in that direction." The Mayor said the matter was *nol one to jest with. Cr Cullen replied that he was not jesting. He was perfectly serious. What he did not believe in was to liiivu one set of men keeping holiday on one day, and the rest on some other day. The thing should be general. Besides the mid-week holiday disorganised trade, and after Thursday's cricket or football some of the young men thought of nothing else with the exception of pay-day on Saturday. They should have ono net day for the holiday. Cr Hessey: " And the majority get no holiday at all." The Mayor: " That is all Ike business of this special meeting gintlciuen."