STATUTORY CLOSING DAY

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 64, 8 April 1953, Page 1

STATUTORY CLOSING DAY

Provisians Re Poll In the Times of April last there appeaired a report of a discussion of the weekly closing day for shops in Taupo which took plaee at the Quarterly General Meeting oi the Business Men s Association, in which it was mentioned that the Association had decidgd to take, during the week commencing April 13th, an unofficial poll to ascertain the opinion of ratepayers on the matter. In this connection it may be of interest to quote the provisions of the Shops and Offices Act with regard to the holdirig of a poll to determine the closing day. i Requisition By Electors Tne act provides that if a requisition, that tne statutory closing day shall be determined by a poll of electors, is presented to the local authority, then the closing day shall be determined accordingly. The requisition to the local authority must be signed by not less than one tenth of the total number of electcsrs of the Town District. The Act further provides that such a requisition for a poll of electors must be presented to the local authority not less than one (month and not more than three months before the day fixed for a general election of the membetrs of the local authority. It is also provided that if and so often as such a requision is duly presented, a poll shall be taken on the day fixed for the next general election of members of the local authority.

Any Working Day The Act allows the widest choice for the day to be chosen as the closing day, by providing that the elector may vote for the appointment of any working day as the statutory closing day, and that day shall be de~ tetrmined in accordance with the majority of votes so given. The position as to the closing day jas provided in the act may thus be briefly summarised as follows. Provision is made for the day to be fixed by the local authority, but a poll must be taken on the question, on the day fixed for the general election of members of the local authority, if a requisition asking for such a poll is presented to the local authority at the proper time as mentioned above, and signed by at least one tenth of the electors. Those entitled to sign such a requisition, and to vote on a poll, are electors of the Town District or Rorough as the case may be. In the case of Town Districts and Boroughs residents as well as ratepayers are entitled to have their names placed on the electoral roll for the District or Borough.