THE NELSON HALF-HOLIDAY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 28 January 1909, Page 2

THE NELSON HALF-HOLIDAY.

THE DENUNCIATION OP SATURDAY. A. KEPLY. The appended letter, by "A Nelson Resident," in reply to a denunciation i)t the Saturday half-holiday in kelson previously appearing in "Th-e Dominion,." i3 published in th<s "Dominion" of Monday last:— Sir,— The- letter you. published from a Nelson, tradesman in reference to the Saturday holiday appears to local residents onc-swtea and gives an iucorreet impression. After a ■ year's trial of the Saturday half-holiday, tho local Retailers' Association,. refused to take any action as an association, as there was so much difference of opinion amongst its members as to whether Wednesday or Saturday was the better day. Very few retailers will admit they did less business last year on account of the Saturday half-holi-day, but, like, your correspondent, say that if it had not been for so and so, etc., the effect would have been disastrous, or they would havo done more business, etc. They forget that the same conditions existed during the greater part of the preceding year. The wildest ex-parte statements are indulged iu by partisans. Your orrespondtnt 's statpment tlirit there' wag a combination of the wholesale and semi-wholesale stores against the retailer is a sample. It is stated on good authority that a larg-e proportion of country stores would have followed the city's lead and closed on Saturday this >ear but for tne City Council's action in altering the day to Wednesday. Why should they do this if they were getting more business? To illustrate the absurd difference of opinion, one City Councillor, in discussing the matter, said he would vote against Saturday as it increased drinking; there were two late nights for the hotels. "Vigilans," in the "Vanguard," the Prohibitionist paper, said on January 9, after a personal visit rouad the Nelson hotels: "I should say . . the publicans' trado in Nelson is seriously affected by the half-holiday on Saturday. . . It would be worth while to promote the Saturday half-holiday in the interests of moral reform." As far as one can learn, the weekly average is very little affected. The City Council's action iu changing the day this year from Saturday to Wednesday needs -explanation. Your correspondent is quite right in saying that the largo petition for Saturday of the previous year was padded by signatures of many not really interested, as they already enjoyed the Saturday half-holiday. The Wednesday people were caught napping, they sent in a small petition, and Saturday was declared the holiday. This year the position was reversed. The Saturday people were caught napping. They relied on several councillors' statements that they would vote for the decision to be left to the Minister and sent in a small petition. The Wednesday people, on the eontrary, left no stone unturned. They sent in a large petition, padded in its turn by tho signatures of many not really interested, who were exempt under the Act, or who employed no assistants. The Council, wisely or foolishly, did as they had done the previous year, and voted for the day — Wednesday this time — asked for by the larger petition. Both sides seem equally confident of winning if it comes to a poll, but the opinion of outsiders best qualified to judge is that Saturday would probably bo carried.