HALF-HOLIDAY CHANGE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2454, 6 May 1915, Page 9

HALF-HOLIDAY CHANGE

TO BECOME OPERATIVE ON JUNE 1

EXEMPTED BUSINESSES

A good many shopkeepers in Wellington are none too sure as to when, the general Saturday half-holiday observance is to commeme. The procedure to be followed after the taking of the poll is clearly set out in clause 17 (subclause 10) of the Shops and Offices Act, 1008, which says:—

"The result of every poll taken under the authority of this section shall be notified to the Minister under the hand of tile Mayor, chairman, or clerk of the local authority in the case of a soparate district, or of tho convening local authority in the case of a combined district; and the Minister shall thereupon appoint the day determined by the result of such poll as the statutory closing day for that district. Every appointment shall be gazetted and a copy of the Garotte containing a notice of such appointment shall bo conclusive evidence that the same has been made according to the tenor of the notice.

"(11.) On &nd after tho first day of June following the gazetting of any such appointment the day so appointed shall be the statutory closing day for the district in respect of whioh such appointment is made, and shall continue to be the statutory closing day for that district until another day is appointed in. accordance with the foregoing provisions of this section."

To change the day of the weekly halfholiday in the future, the opponents of Saturday will have to present a requisition for a poll containing the names of one-tenth of the total number of electors in the district not less than one or more than three months before the date fixed for tho general election of members of the local authority . The class of businesses excepted from the observance of the statutory halfholiday are those cf a fishmonger, fruiterer, confectioner, florist, refreshmentroom keeper, baker, or bookstall keeper on a railway station or wharf. In these cases the rights of the assistants to a half-holiday is provided for "on such working day in each week as the occupier thinks fit."

In the case of any shop wherein is carried out .the business of a butcher, hairdresser, tobacconist, or photo* grapher, the occupier may, in the event of Saturday being appointed the statutory day for the half-holiday, close his shop at 1 p.m. for the remainder of the day on any other working day that he thinks fit, providing that he gives notice to the Inspector in the month of January in eacn year or within one month of the opening of the shop that day in the week on .which he intends to close.

There are other qualified exemptions for shops in seaports opened' solely for the purpose of supplying goods to any vessel arriving that day; for sliops or warehouses selling harvesting machinery and fittings during the harvest; for shops engaged partly in Post Office and telegraphic business, and chemists where surgical appliances or medicines aro urgently required.

From the foregoing it_ will be seen that Saturday, June 5, will be the first day on which the general half-holiday will be observed on the last day in the week.

In the case of winter sports clubs, the existing Saturday clubs may expect an appreciable addition to their list of members, and by the same token it vrill not be surprising to find that many 'of the existing Wednesday football and hockey clubs will either have to disband altogether or amalgamate with the Saturday clubs.' It is not anticipated that the change will have such a marked effect .at the present time as it would in normal times, for the simple reason thait a fair proportion of those Mvho take part in tho more strenuous winter sports have either answered the call to arms or are considering doing so.-