BUSIEST DAY

Evening Star, Issue 22447, 18 September 1936, Page 8

BUSIEST DAY

SHOULD COUNCIL OFFICES CLOSE SATURDAY? SHARP DIVISION OF OPINION [Per Unites Press Association.] WELLINGTON, September 18. Ways and means of introducing the five-day week in the Wellington city engineer’s department caused a _ sharp division of opinion at the meeting of the council. The mayor (Mr Hislop) warned the Works Committee against going too fast in these matters. It was decided to introduce the fiveday week immediately in the city engineer’s department. .Mr W. Appleton (chairman of the Works Committee) said the committee was unanimous that there was no reason why the council office should not follow the practice of other businesses and remain closed on Saturdays. The Mayor stressed the fact that Saturday was one of the busiest mornings. He knew of no Government offices which were closing down on Saturday. • Cr M. F. Luckie, supporting the mayor’s remarks, said the council had decided on a 40-hour week, not a fiveday week. . ! ■ ! -Later the Mayor, alter L itiha4 been stated that some employees were not working the MI 40 hours weekly, said they would have to investigate whether the daily hours would nave to be lengthened to permit the week to be shortened. If • the Works Committee could do in five days what used to take five and a-half, there must have been a lot of waste of time in the past.