Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 1925. STATUTORY HALF HOLIDAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2833, 13 January 1925, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 1925. STATUTORY HALF HOLIDAY.

THE Boroug 1 !! Council acted in the best interests of Foxton, not only commercially, but from a social point of view, in refusing the request of a petition to change the statutory half-holiday from Wednesday to Saturday at last night’s meeting. We do not neiievc there would he any cbjerti m to Saturday provided that day was made universal, but for Foxton to close on Saturday when the adjacent towns observe the mid-week holiday would be a decided retrograde step. Just imagine Main Street with shops closed on the afternoon and evening of that day—wheil people are accusotmed to “do the town.” To argue that Friday night or Saturday morning would serve the same purpose for making necessary purchases is quite alright, but there is something more than that in the custom of Saturday night’s outing and Friday night would never ap peal to the public in the same manner. W hile those responsible for requesting a change were acting quite within their rights, it was somewhat

strange that none of the signatories to the petition, except the young man responsible for the agitation, should have attended the Council meeting in support of the petition. A poll of the burgesses can be demanded to settle the question but we do not believe that it would be successful in the circumstances.