CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5507, 29 November 1929, Page 2

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS.

QUESTION OF DAYS. CANVASS TO BE MADE. The question of concerted agreement between shopkeepers in Paeroa as to what days they should close during the coming Christmas season was broached by Mr J. P. Gamble at the Chamber of Commerce meeting on Tuesday. Behaved like Children. Mr Gamble said that last year the people of Paeroa behaved like a lot of children on the subject. They had not enough backbone to say what stand they would take. They made a fool of the town, and were destroying its standard. The same had taken place over the half-holiday question. They should not behave like children, but like business men, and adopt some concerted agreement. As a suggestion he proposed that shops during the coming holidays should remain open late on Christmas Eve and close on Christmas Day and the next day (Boxing 1 Day), and remain open on Friday and on Saturday morning. The law did not provide for two late nights in one week. Mr P. Williams thought the suggestion should be made to the shopkeepers and the decision published. M. P. E. Branan maintained that, following usual practice, they should close on the day after Boxing Day as well. There was not much business during the holidays, and Saturday would supply the shoppers’ wants. That a meeting of business men should be held to secure unanimity was the opinion of Mr D. Leach. Mr G. H. Taylor : Yes, and enrol them as members at the same time. Mr Gamble maintained that the trouble was when half the shops were closed and half of them were open. It did not matter to him whether they closed for three or four days so long as they closed as one man. Mr Williams : The difficulty is ■ unanimity. Mr Gamble : Waihi decided in three minutes !

It was eventually decided that the executive committee make a canvass of the town and endeavour to have the shopkeepers close on the same day.