The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-02-08
ON SUNDAY LABOR
Acknowledgement Smith
Explains Recent Order.
For Benefit of LabOring M en-Sun-
day Was Made for
Man.

Criticism having been made in re-
gard to the order forbidding the load
ing and dischaIging of steamships on
Sunday, the Attorney General was
seen yesterday ana asked the reason
for the PRONUNCIATION for such an order
at this time Mr. Smith said in reply
70 a question:
The object is TO prevent all unnec-
essary work on Sunday. After rea-
sonable notice the steamship com
panies can arrange their timetables SO
that no steamer need be delayed in
port. In fact. the Oceanic Steamship
Company received such notice year
ago, and has, ever since, arranged so
that it has not been necessary for any
of its steamers to work cargo on Sun
day. Before that time the Australia
had on some occasions loaded and dis
charged on that day.
~ henever any one Of the large
steamships is in port great amount OF
work has to be performed, and IN as
brief time as possible. This entails
more than ordinary labor upon mer-
/ chants, clerks, customs and health Of
dcers and laborers. With the eXcep-
Z lion. possibly Of some of the wharf la
! borers. every one concerned would
much prefer not to be obliged TO per-
/ form this work on Sunday. After
working hard all week ii is severe
/ tax TO have TO keep at it land even more
severely on Sunday. So, If the time
! tables can be arranged that there Will
! be no occasion for the Sunday work
why should it be required? Believing
/ that there was no real difficulty in the
way OF so arranging the timetables, the
Executive Council decided that notice
! should be given TO the agents OF the
! established steamship lines, both for
eign and domestic.
| 1.-THE order will be enforced in {
reasonable manner, and does not appl!
to cases of distress or such vessels al
call for the performance of necessar!
work.
1.-THE law requiring the cessation o
work on Sunday is in the interests o
the workingmen, be they merchants
clerks or Iaborers, and, when reason
ably enforced, is for their protection
and for the benefit of society.
81 noticed when l was in New Zea
land" continued Mr.. Smith, that tn
conditions are almost spcialistic in TIL
respect: the laboring man insists ina
he shall have Sunday as day OIL resi-
that il was made for man, and ma
shall use it as he pleases, not as nj
emnloyer wishes Then the Govern
ment provides for a half holiday l.
the week. not necessarily on Satur
dav but on day beside Sunday mos
convenient to the interests. Some line
of business close up Oh WEDNESDAY
others on Friday or Saturday, ana S
on The street cars do not run unit
30 d. m. on Sunday in Auckland, an
If is impossible TO get a cigar on ina
! dav This gives everyone an oppol
tunitv TO attend church, II they WlSi
hut it is not forced upon them an
more than it is here. In the a1ternoo
the men enjoy themselves at the parl
where there is public concert, sue
as we have at Makee Island.
Il do not believe that the clerf
in Honolulu work on SUNDAY W
cause they wish it, but pecauS
their employers insist upon 1t. III
order lust issued is said by some
he the result of a sudden rush or II
lisious ideas to the heads OF the men
hers of the Executive Council, but IN
is not the case. Sunday is the dt
generally recognized throughout u
world as day of rest, and the men
hers of the Executive Council VIII s.
that the men in Honolulu get II
far as possible.