KING'S BIRTHDAY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 5, 21 January 1937, Page 6

KING'S BIRTHDAY

Change of Holiday Date Suggested DECEMBER 14 AWKWARD There is a movemvent on foot both in New Zealand and in Australia to have the present King'* Birthday holiday changed to a Coronation Day holiday, to be held on May 12 instead of December 14 as at present; Lafit year's celebration of the King's .Biirthday on this latter date did .inter^erq with busfnebai, accord-i ing to retailers, and coming as it does so close to the Christmas Day aind New Year holiday pexiod, it is thought to he incOqvcnient, hringing to a halt shopping which is rising to the Christmas peak. It is maintained that, just. as business that is lost on a wet day does not return, so is it with buf-fcness lost through a holiday. This question was referred to Mr. C. Griffiths, chairman of the Hastings Retailers' Association by a "HeraldTribune'' reporter for comment, and in answer to a question as to whether ctny representations had been made on the subject, M!r. Griffiths stated that so far the association had not been approached, but it was a matter that would most probably be discussed by the association at an early meeting. At the same time there would be a further discussion on the Anniversary Day question, reference to which appeared in the "Herald-Tribune" on Tuesday. "The matter of having a substitute day for the King's Birthday will be brought forward," Mr. Griffiths told the reporter. "Personally, I wpfild favour the substitution of Empire Day, on May 24, for the King's Birthday, rather than Coronation Day. Empire Day is a fixed date (the first official celebration was in 1904), and appeara to me to be quqite a suitable date and more acceptable to the country, as Coronation Dav, which is concerned with only one Sovereign, does not havs quite the same significance, "I have heard that there is a movement on foot to have a substitute date fixed instead of the King's Birthday," concluded Mr. Griffiths, "but I have no knowledge of any actual representations being made on the subject." Mr. Griffiths agreed that a substitute date in May would be mbre acceptable to retailers and merchants, as it would not interfere with business to auywhero the same extent as the present Kingfa Birthdav on December 14, which come# right in the Christmas period, LONG PERIOD AFTER EASTER. As the position stands at present, there is a long gap between Easter and the next public holiday, and' Coronation Day or Elmpire Day, : ming as they do in this period, woulu be in a slacker period of the year, when holi^days are not as frequent as in other parts of the .year. Business firms feel that because of this it would be better to hold the holiday on the May date in. preference io the December date, and it .is thought that employees also would appreciato the break in the middle of the year. It is, of course, r^alised that a certain amount of the inconvenience caused by the holiday last month was due to the short notice which was given of- tho holiday. Such a change, as ig suggested, could not be brought into operation at once, as all the awards and the Factories' Act provide that the Eang's Birthday must be observed as a holiday, and awards cannot be amended during their term of currency without the consent of both partiee concerned in the nward, EFFECT ON FOOTBALL, To one group in Hawke's Bay tha proposed change would be most acceptable, and that is to Rugby football enthusiasts. For years past the annual match between Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa has been held on the King'a Birthday, which in the reign of the late King George V. was June*3, and for King Edward VIII. was June 23. Both these dates were very suitable for followers of football, but the present date, coming in the summer months, bara the possibility of this fixture being held on the Sovereign' s birthday. Were May 12 or May 24 recognised as the holiday, then all would be well once more, an3 Hawke's Bay could celebrate the holiday in the time-honoured way by seeing the match. Actually, for the last 100 vears all the Kings' birthdays have been aroupd the middle of the year, and have been at a time well suited to the Dominion, and this is the first occasion since then on which the question of eubstituting another date has arisen.