A UNIVERSAL HALF-HOLIDAY

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2489, 30 April 1909, Page 5

A UNIVERSAL HALF-HOLIDAY

A CHRISTCHURCH OPINION

[Per Press Association.]

CHRISTCHURCH, April 29

Air. A. F. Carey, one of the managing committee in connection with the Thursday half-holiday, when asked by a newspaper representative to express, •on behalf of the committee, his opinions on yesterday’s poll, said that, from the point of view of the retailers, and, he believed, also from that of the communitv the result was most gratifying. Assuming the correctness of tho statement made by a Saturday supporter to the effect that there are' 3000 slion assistants in tho city, and also that the greater proportion were in favor of Saturday, the result of the combined poll showed that 'a little over five hundred of-the general public supported the end of the week lialf-holiday. The committee, knew, •however, that a large proportion of the shop assistants did not favor Saturday. “We reckoned from the start,” continued Air. Carey, “when it was osti- . mated that 5000 voters in the city were in favor of Thursday, that we could •carry the poll. There was, we believed, an underlying feeling throughout the contest that the submission of the issue to a popular vote was an unwarranted interference with business, an intciference that was relented by tho public' and employers alike. I was approached by one of the officers of the Saturday organisation yesterday, with a suggestion that the- two organisations should combine and work for a universal Thursday half-holiday. I want to say that, if that is to bo considered an official suggestion, speaking for myself, and I think I voice the feeling of tho 'retailers generally, I am absoultcly against interfering with the arrangement of other employers. 1 would regard lit as the height of un pertinence om our part to interfere with the arrangements of other employers in. the same manner that we looked upon the interference of outsiders with our arrangements.” ■