THE CHANGED HOLIDAY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2487, 14 June 1915, Page 3

THE CHANGED HOLIDAY

♦ FRIDAY LATE NIGHT. The late Friday in place of Saturday night closing has now been tried on two occasions by the majority of business premises, but there has been no opportunity yet to come to a definite conclusion as to how it will affect trade. The first week in which the new provision came into operation was Carnival Week, and the late night was not really tried till Friday last. And then the night was very wet. Inquiries made on Saturday show that more people came out on that night than cn the nights when the shops were closed, but the usual Saturday night crowd was not reached. The general opinion is that the wet night kept many people indoors on Friday, but that it will nevertheless take some time for shopperis to accustom themselves to .the change. As to business done, the experience seems to have varied—one shop did better than was expected, while other firms reported that there was a- great falling away of trade from what they | were accustomed to on a Saturday night. Some extra business was, however, done on Saturday morning, and several of I the big Cuba Street stores experienced quite a rush time between 11 o'clock and dosing time. Apparently the payment of wages question will not bo such a great factor in reduced trade by having the late night on Friday in place of Saturday, for it was pointed out to a reporter oil Saturday that quite as many workers, factory hands, and others, aro paid on Friday, as on the next day. This means a big thing to the shopkeeper, because it is mainly after the weekly wage has been received that the housekeeping purchases are made. _ The shop assistants have not yet had time to appreciate the change, for since they have received the week-end holiday in place of the mid-week rest, they have been devoting their holiday to assisting the numerous Carnival efforts to raise money for the Wounded Soldiers' Fund.