Today is August Bank Holiday, and, for the first time in 69 years, what is now almost a tradition will be broken, for the workers will not observe it, but go back to their jobs as on any other day. It was by the Bank Holidays Act, 1871, that four bank holidays were established to be kept as close holidays in all banks in England, Scotland and Ireland. Before 1834 it was the custom of the Bank of England to close on certain saints' days and anniversaries, about thirty-three days in all. In that year they were reduced to four, Good Friday, May 1, November 1, and Christmas Day. By the Act of 1871, carried through the House of Commons by Sir John Lubbock, afterwards Lord Avebury, the following were constituted bank holidays in England and Ireland. Easter Monday, Whitsun Monday, the first Monday in August and December 26, if a week day, but ihe Monday following if the date fell on a Sunday. In Scotland the days were different, being New Year's Day, Good Friday, the first Monday in May, the first Monday in August, and Christmas Day. When Christmas and New Year fell on a Sunday the Monday following was observed as a holiday. No person is compelled to make any payment or to do any act upon a bank holiday which he would not be compelled to make or do on Christmas Day or Good Friday, and the making of a payment or the doing of an act on the following day is equivalent to doing it on the holiday. But the British workers who some time ago decided to work on Sunday, have decided that war material made on Tuesday is not the same as that made on Monday, despite what the law says on the subject, and they have loyally decided that they will return to their benches, their lathes and their machines, It may only be a days work but it is indicative of the determination of the British masses that, statutory holidays or no, the men who are fighting the Empires battles shall not lack material through any failure on their part to do their duty.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.