SHOP CLOSING ON DECLARATION DAY.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 263, 6 August 1915, Page 4

SHOP CLOSING ON DECLARATION DAY.

(To the Editor)

riir,—Under the above beading, I read Mr Bennett's letter in your issue of yesterday, and I gathered from it, in spite of its extreme vagueness of diction, that he is considerably, incensed that certain, as he terms, "so-called tradespeople" failed to close for the, whole cf the afternoon on" Declaration Da v.

Looking through the Auckland and Wellington papers this mxlrning, I failed to read of one town, whose business people closed for more than two hours, and many cf them, including tho citi?-, held their meeting, at the Town Hall in the evening, and I consider the. "so-called tradesp?ppl©"cf Taihape conformed sufficiently to what was the, right thing, by closing t.bejr business premises during the time the patriotic meeting was being held, namely, from 2 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. As one of th c "so called tradespeople," I take great exception to Mr Bennett's sneering 'remarks re patriot-ism—-Since when has'he become an authority'on the subject?

I do not pretend that I have done all I should, but I have given what I «.an afford, and shall continue to do *o; a 1?" T h?,v e only on? sen. and he ~.„.,*■ +Yie first contingent and is nf .^ ( , helping to uphold the flag at the Dardanelles, and if he, had not don e so, well, he would have been no son of mine. Words icost little, Mr Bennett, but When they aire printed as yourn have been, and convey insults to reputable business people in your own town, who did not happen to consult you how to run their business affairs. well,as at' present.vou occupy the position of Acting-Mayor, you should have been the last pfi-son to write the insulting letter which appeared yesterday.—tf am. etc..

T. A. GARRATT. One of the "So-called"" Tradespeople