THE HALF HOLIDAY.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 166, 30 January 1914, Page 3

THE HALF HOLIDAY.

Saturday Decided Upon.

At Wednesday's meeting ot trie .-Pukekohe Borough Council the following petition was received:— We, the shopkeepers of Pukekoh?, respectfully request you to again fix on Saturday as the day of the weekly half-holiday for this borjugh:-W.. Roulston, R. F. Webster, J. A. Comrie, J. Wolstenholme, F. Perkins and Co., Dell and Son, T. H. Hurley, J. R. McKie. J. Rsnkin, E. Ramsay, C. W. Ledge, J. Adsms and Son, W. Townson, G. Montague. The Mayor said he presumed that as this wai the only petition the usual course wouli be followed. Cr Patterson aiked who circulated th 3 petition and if everybody had been asked whether they would sign? Cr Abbott moved, That Saturday be the half-hoilday, the oepartment to be advised accordingly. Cr fiilkey seconded the motion, which was carried EVENING CLOSING TIME. Another petition said:— We, the undersigned shopkeepers in the borough of Pukekohe, respectfully request you to gazette the undermentioned shop hours for this borough (fruiterers and hairdressers exempted): Mondays, Tusdays, Wednasdays, Thursdays 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Butchers to open earlier in the morn- • ing in accordance with the award:— A. 0. Woollett, F. Ramsay, J. Bartrom, J. R. Mcßae, F. Perkins and Co., H. Ddl and Son, J. Patterion, J. Rankin, R. b. Webster, M. E. McGovern, C. W. Loiga, W. RouUton. Roulston Bros., J. Connie, W. G. Shotbolt. Subsequently the signatures of Messrs A. 0. Woollett, J. Bartrom, E. Ramsay were withdrawn, it being said that they had s'gned whilst under a misapprehension. It wai noticed that about eight shopkeepers were present. Mr Hopkins acted with those objecting to the foregoing petition and Mr Fitzheibert (for Endean and Holloway) was advising for the Cuuncil. The Mayor said the only duty the Councillors had to perform was to satisfy themselves that there was a majority of the storekeepers' names on the petition; they had then to send the petition on to the Minister and it was for him to take action. He did not know if this list represented a majority bat he should tbink it did. Mr Hopkins: If I may speak I have to say that a majority of the shopkeepers cay that that list is not a majority one. Mr Hopkins then laid an unexpected document on the table, which read as follows: We, the undersigned bona-fide shopkeepers in the borough of Pukekohe, do«hereby request that there be no alteration or abrogation of the hours heretofore observed by us in connection with our respective businesses and that no hours be

gazetted:— C. Roadley, E. A. Holmes, H. ft. Biunton, F. Lave, H. Mills, C. R. Lusher, F. H. W. S. Russell, E. Ramsay, C. W. Lodge, A. 0. Woollett, J. H. Bartrom, R. Miller and Co., A. ■ Tawse, J. R. Mcßae, W. Wright, F. Wright, F. Perkins and Co., Cooper and Curd, J. Adams and Sons, U. Montague, J. B. Kerr, J. Wolatenhnlrte and Co., R. Bradbury, Allan and McClintock, J. Walsh, C. A. Penny, T. Askew. The Mayor: There are er.ough names here. I tee that some are here who signed the other lint. What does this mean? Mr Hopkins: They're sorry they signed the other list. Cr Patterson said in the first place he would like to check the names. He wanted to know the names of those who were really eligible to sign; they must be shopkeepers wto arc not already exempt, consequently hairdressers, fruiters, bakers and confectioners could not sign. Mr Hopkins made another remark. Cr Patterson: Mr Hopkins is not a shopkeeper. That settles that! Mr Roadley held that a majority of all shopkeepers was entitled to sign asking that their businesses be not gazetted. All on the list

were bona-fide shopkeepers and Mr I Pattersun was entirely wrong. f Mr Fitzherbert was asked to quote the Act on the subject and read as follows:-Section 25 of the Shops and Offices Act, sub-section 1, reads:—"On the requisition in writing of a majority of the occupiers of all the shops in the district of any local authority, desiring that all the shops therein shall be closed in the evening of every working day at an hour specified in the requisition the Minister shall, by notice in the Gazette, direct that from and after a day therein mentioned all shops in the district shall be closed in accordance with the requisition; and in such case, and until upon a like requisition the Gazet'.e notice is cancelled or varied by the Minister, all shops in the district shall be closed accordingly. Provided that no requisition shall be acted upon by the Minister unless the local authority has certified that the signatures to the requisition represent a majority of the occupiers'of all the shops within the disttict. (2) Such requisition may be limited to any particular trade or trades within the district, and in every case the provisions of the last preceding sub-section shall, mutatis mutandis, apply to such limited requisition; and such requisition shall, with reßpect to the trade or trades mentioned therein, supersede any requisition applying to all snops in the district." The Mayor moved: "Ihat this matter be referred to the borough solicitors to determine who are shopkeepers. Cr Bilkey seconded. Mr Perkins asked leave to explain as his name was on both petitions. He wished to keep the half-holiday and the closing conditions tbe same as heretofore. %ta motion.was carried. Later on the Council considered the petitions in committee, and the upshot of the deliberations was that Mr Wyatt was instructed to employ one of his men in interviewing everv ahopkeeper to see what they waoted, th 9 issue to be: Do you want the evening closing hours to be gazetted or not?

Annual meeting subscribers Pukekohe Library, Tuesday, February 3rd. Two lines for the Show ia the heading of S. W. Mills' new advt. today winch will interest the ladies,