STATUTORY HALF HOLIDAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2832, 10 January 1925, Page 3

STATUTORY HALF HOLIDAY.

AGITATION IN FAVOUR OF SATURDAY. RETAILERS AND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FAVOUR WEDNESDAY. DEPUTATION TO WAIT ON BOROUGH COUNCIL. A petition has been drawn up and circulated for signature asking the Borough Council to fix Saturday as the statutory half-holiday in lieu of Wednesday and will be presented to the Borough Council on Alonday next, when the Council will deal with the matter at a special meeting called for the purpose. The agitation for Saturday has aroused a most emphatic protest on the part of retailers who consider that such an alteration would detrimentally affect business and cause people to go elsewhere for their week-end shopping. A meeting of the Foxton Retailers’ Association was held last night, ana the matter was discussed and it was unanimously decided to oppose the proposal and a dejmtation was .appointed to wait on the Council and express the views of the Association in favour of retaining the mid-week holiday. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FAVOURS WEDNESDAY. The question of fixing the statutory half-holiday was discussed at length by the local Chamber of Commerce at last night’s meeting and members were unanimously in favour of the retention of Wednesday. Air A. N. Smith, in introducing the subject, said a petition had been drawn up and circulated by certain individuals in favour of Saturday. Those responsible for the agitation were youths with little commercial responsibilities. The business people were large ratepayers and looked to the week-end business to pay their way and to compensate for slackness in trading dr.ring the early portion of the week. There would be no objection to Saturday provided it was universally observed, but to close locally on that day when adjacent towns remained open, would be detrimental to local tradespeople and the town generally. It would be a backward step to the town and community. Other towns in the district had experimented with Saturday and were glad to revert back to Wednesday He said another point was that the shopping public had not asked or a change nor had they been consulted. Those responsible for the present agitation chiefly comprised youths, the majority of whom were minors. He was informed that one or two Councillors had signed the petition, and had thereby commit* ted themselves to a matter upon which they were called upon to adjudicate. Mr C. Simmons: Your name appears on the petition. Air Smith: If it is there it is a forgery and I will have it expunged. Mr Simmons: I saw it and called attention to it. Mr Smith: I will have it expunged. Continuing, Mr Smith then moved: “That in the interests of the business men and shopping public of Foxton, and surrounding district, this Chamber respectfully requests the Borough Council to adhere to Wednesday as the statutory halfholiday for the ensuing year.” Air Winstanley, in seconding the motion, said that the change would be detrimental to the town and to branches of sport. If any business firm desired a change to Saturday the law permitted them to make the change. The President. (Mr Christie) said there should be- an alteration in the law giving businss men the right to fix the half-holiday. If Saturday fixed, he said, trade would certainly be diverted to other towns and this would mean a reduction in -local staffs. A member: Perhaps it would be ns. well to only keep open for one Week during the year! i The chairman: It would suit some people alright, if the wages were paid for the closed period. Other members spoke in favour of the motion, which was carried unanimously. It: was decided that members wait ■upon the Borough Council in support of the motion.