CLOSING DAY POLL

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 93, 30 October 1953, Page 5

CLOSING DAY POLL

LETTERS TO EDITOR GIVE PROS AND CONS

Sir, — As the only two bakers baking bread in Taupo we wish to place before your readers, and our customers, ©ur position in relation to ,the'> forthcoming poll on the weekly closing day in Taupo. If Monday is chosen as the weekly holiday, bread baked on Friday will have to serve until Tuesday morning. The reason why we cannot bake on Saturday or Sunday is simply that wages and penalty rates which we are compelled to pay on those days total three times ordinary wages. The price at which our bread is sold is fixed by law and we pannot increase it. It is therefore not possible for us to bake economically on the days mentioned. We are, etc.,

ALEX M.

SMITH.

WARREN H.

WHITE.

Sir— In reply to "Business-as-Usu'aJ" (Times 16/10/53) we must remember that Taupo's growth is due to the tourist and holiday trade. Many earlier fishing visitors are now permanent residents. Taflpo becomes more popular yearly and the town's first duty is to cater for the tourist trade. It is the retailer's duty to be open at the time most convenient to shoppers, both local and visiting. The majority of local and outlying district residents have Saturday holiday and it is the Taupo retailer's duty to be open for them to shop on that day. A large proportion of Taupo's Saturday trade is from outlying districts. Could these people 6hop on a Friday night, many of them from as far as thirty miles out, when many rely on service cars to get in and out? The daily press has reported quite a number of a.pplications made to the Court for permission to keep open on Saturdays. "Business-as-Usual" should remember that sport was not stressed as the reason for a universal holiday. It was more to give the husband more time in his garden. That was when the 40 hour week was introduced. I am not against sport but say that Saturday closing would make no difference, for the majority taking part observe Saturday holiday but have their competitions on Sunday, Mr Currie is right in saying visitors need to buy on Saturday. Our many week-end visitors will bring provisions with them if not catered for, with a large loss of revenue to Taupo over the year, and inconvenience to the visitors While some retailers were satisfied to leave the holiday as it was, St was decided by a majority vote that Monday closing would give the desired two consecutive days holiday and would not take away the customer's privilege of shopping on Saturday when they have the whole day free. By keeping open on Saturday Taupo shoppers have a convenience that manv would certainly long to have back if they lost it at the poll. I strongly advise voters to vote Monday and not lose the privilege of shopping on their day off. I am, etc.,

W. J.

STEVENS

*$» i Sif,~Mr Currie in his letter (Times 9/10/53) refers to the tourists and visitors requiring the convenience of shopping on Saturdays. A late night Friday would overcome ninety-nine per cent of this objection to Saturday closing. It must not be forgotten that visitors to Taupo expect to find shops closed on Saturday, as almost everywhere else in New Zealand, and when they find shops in Taupo closed on a week- day more visitors

are caused inconvenience tlian will be the case with Saturday closing. For visitors to find shops closed on a Monday would make them think of Alice in Wonderland. With shops closed Saturday and a late night for shopping on Friday people could come in from the country by bus Friday night as they already do for the pictures, and their Saturday holiday would not be wasted doing week-end shopping. Now there is electric light a late night is easy. Why should Taupo be the only town where visitors are prevented from shopping on a week day? I am, etc.,

"FRIDAY LATE." 5j >\ * Sir, — May we briefly refer to some points raised by anonymous correspondents in your recent issues. Our Association is in favour of Monday closing and keeping Saturday open for the following reasons. (1) Our duty and desire is to give service to the resident public together with our visiting property owners and holiday-makers. Our biggest trading day in the week throughout the year is Saturday. Surely this means that the public, i as a whole, wants Saturday opening. (2) At peak period Taupo's week-end population increases by some 200% (compare this with Rotorua's 20% increase). And Taupo is in its infancy as a tourist and fishing resort. (3) Could we possibly be justified in closing our doors on these visitors and presenting them with another "dead" town at weekends? (4) If closed on Saturdays, Taupo would lose much, with nothing gained. From the sports angle, the business community are little affected by being open on Saturdays. Many shops are staffed by proprietors and their families. Of the employees in all shops, there are only five males, four of whom are married and there are approximately twen-ty-one females, fifteen of whom are married. With regard to the supply of bread we imagine the local bakers would prefer baking on Friday nights, in order to provide fresh bread for sale in the shops on Saturday, rather than have to bake as at present on Sunday nights which we presume means paying penalty wage rates. To conclude, Sir, may we ask everyone to consider the question of the weekly holiday from its broadest present and future aspect, and then vote accordingly. The business people of Taupo are happy to comply with their wishes. I am, etc.,

W. L.

HAINES,

Chairman, Taupo Businessmen"s Association Committee. •1A ? f T* I Sir, — The Businessmen's letter which started the ball rolling in the closing day campaign said the idea of mid-week holiday is antiquated. They have had a mid-week closed day for a good many years and if they have only just found out this is antiquated perhaps they are no so likely to be right now when they say Monday is the best day. The letter by "Business As Usual" mentions a late night which is a good idea and we should try it. With the Businessmen gee-ing for Monday, with notices to vote for Monday closing in fhe shops, it means we must now choose on voting day between Saturday closing or Monday closing. The argument that Saturday closing will ruin Tq/upo is the same old story

» • as when Saturday closing firststarted but no other town has been j ruined so why should Taupo be. Visitors to a holiday place like Taupo would find it funny to see the business places all dead on the first day of the working week. So I say roll to the poll and do not let the tale about no fresh meat on Monday persuade to vote for Monday, even if it has persuaded the business men, but vote for Saturday closing. I am, etc., NOT ANTIQUATED. vV

Si,r — I wish to appeal to the voters *>on the inner circle to consider those of us on the outer when deciding the issue of Saturday closing or otherwise. For the majority of us, and we are quite numerous, Saturday is the only day we can visit Taup6. One certain result of a closed Saturday would be much Loss of business to our thriving town and any factor retarding continued progress would be most regrettable. I am, etc.,

C. J.

MERRYLEES,

C/o State Forest Service, Iwitahi. , vT>» vt> « Sir, — It should not be assumed that all persons in business in Taupo desire Monday as the closing day. Far from it. Here is another argument to add to the telling points made in favour of Saturday closing in recent letters to you. Last week-end brought many bf our friends and relatives to Taupo, but neither employers nor employees could spend the f ull holiday with them, and the position will be equally unsatisfactory if we "close on Mondays. One more point — some business people would like to attend an occasional Saturday race meeting or other sporting fixture. Finally, how long are we to coi\tinue to let the rest of the country be out of step with Taupo! I am, etc., VOX POPULI.