HALF-HOLIDAY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 123, 28 April 1925, Page 6

HALF-HOLIDAY

ARGUMENTS FOR WEDNESDAY. BUSINESS MAN’S VIEWS. Tho question of the hour amongst business men, shop assistants, and the public at the preeent time its not so much to-morrow’s local body elections in general as the half-holiday question in particular. Seldom, perhaps, has a local issue l>een given such prominence and been the subject of so much propaganda ae had the NVedneeday-Saturday contention cn the present occasion. The views of a local business man in Mr N. H. Sinclair were given to a “Standard” reporter this morning. Mr Sinclair is an advocate of the retention of Wednesday and is closely in touch with the ‘work of the committee operating in that direction. “Our principal reason for wishing to see the town retain the Wednesday halfholiday,” he said, “is because wo oelicve Saturday to be the most convenient day to keep the shops open for week-end shopping. The centres certainly have Saturday half-holiday, but they have a large population to keep their shops going, and are i ot so dependent on country trade as is P-d----monitor i North, situated as we are in the centre of such a large area of rich land with a big dairy production. If farmers had a vote on this question there is no doubt in my mind what day they would vote for, and the feeling is so high m the country that we will to-morrow see the spectacle of country residents lending our committee their motor card and assistance 10 help ua carry Wednesday half-holiday. “Saturday half-holiday is not such a universal half-holiday in the centres as we are led to believe, for we lind tobacconists, fruit shops, confectioners, tea rooms, butchers and provision shops all open doing business, and it seems to me as if drapers, ironmongers and grocers are the only firms who ure compelled to close, and the inconvenience in the centres is so acute that the courts have granted exemption to dozens of shops at seaside resorts allowing them to keep open on Saturday afternoons. Why should this exemption be granted if, as we are led to believe no inconvenience ic caused by Saturday closing ! “Thus, under Saturday closing we will see in Palmerston North the town half closed and half open. Drapers, ironmongers and grocers will be closed and tobacconists, fruit shops, confectioners, tea rooms, butchers and provision shops all open. That, to my mind, is only playing with the thing. The town and country are served best by having all the shops open all day Saturday thus making it the market day of the week for everybody. “There are very few retail establishments in this town which actually favour the Saturday liaif-holiday —over 90 per cent of them know that their customers prefer therm to remain open all day Saturday. The proof of this has been the big majority by which Wednesday half-holiday has always been carried at previous polls, and 1 feel confident that the electors ot Palmerston North will appreciate our efforts in endeavouring to render them the best service we can by voting for W ednesday half-holiday.” Mr Sinclair proceeded to enumerate a number of towns with a mid-week holiday which they desired to retain and instanced Hasting**,, Gisborne, Dannevirke, Masterton. Nelson and Blenheim. He stated that one large local retail house had sent out 67 letters to customers in 21 different towns and townships about Palmerston North asking their opinion about the half-holiday ouestion and tho replies had been practically unanimous in favour of the retention of Wednesday. The majority, in fact, ptated that they would be seriously inconvenienced by Saturday closing and many stated that in such event they would not shop in Palmerston North at all. SCHOOL COMMITTEES’ VIEWS.

“A large number of school commiteos in tho country have been written to and asked their opinion,” said Mr Sinclair, and he showed tho reporter the replies received. The following school committees signified their desire to have Wednesday halfholiday retained: Ballance, Oroua Downs, Rangictu, Glen Oroua, Newbury, Raumai, Iliwinui, Utuwai, Pohangina, Tiakitahunu, Tiritea, Bunriythorpe. Fitzherbert East and Linton.