SPIRITED REPLY.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 333, 14 January 1937, Page 4

SPIRITED REPLY.

THE HALF-HOLIDAY

Business People Should Decide Themselves.

(To the Editor.)! I

Sir, —1 am very disappointed to see that your columns are being made use of in an attempt to re-open what cannot be anything more than an entirely uprofitable discussion on the question of .the statutory hal'flioliday in Stratford. Were it not for the fact that some serious-mindl- - citizens of the town might be Influenced by misrepresentation of the real position the outpourings of these obstinate and shortsighted busy body’s would be worthy of no reply w hat&oever.

The decision to change to the Saturday half-holiday was made by an overwhelming majority of the shopkeepers of town who surely have the right to choose which day they will remain open. To talk about weakness on the part of the borough council and of the Mayor, in not interfering, is mere airy firstly because the council has no power to take sucH action, and secondly because the Mayor once strongly rdbuked the small minority who for selfish motives opposed the reform. At the same time the Mayor emphasised a point, which should surely be obvious to Mr. W. P. Kirkwood aild “Business Ratepayer,” namely fchat uhe in'urodu'ction of a universal Saturday half-holiday throughout the Dominion is almosi certain to be brought about in the near future by Government legisla-

tion. If your correspondents were as closely acquainted with Stratford business activity as they pretend they would know that the only setback that shopkeepers received due to the change was during the short period when, owing to the propaganda of the very small minority, the country people, who habitually shop in Stratford, were so confused that many of them did not know which day to come to town. Any interference with the ordinary routine of shopping is bound to have an adverse effect on business and that an attempt! to revive the cumbersome Thursday system would merely result in inconvenience and loss to business people of the town, is apparently a m'atter of moment to Mr Kirkwood and the “Business Ratepayer.”

After a brief period of excitement Stratford has now settled down to the observance of the Saturday halfholiday. In making the change the majority of shopkeepers and practically all their employees were confident that they were taking the iXht step and have found no reason for regretting having done so. The representatives of the farmers themselves, the Farmers’ Union and the County Council accepted the position philosophically and some members were even enthusiastically in favour of the change. Why them, sir, do you allow one or two disgruntled persons to waste your valuable space in a senseless endeavour to stir up dissention in a contented community? 1 am, etc.,

ECONOMUS