THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 June 1915, Page 5

THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

THE POSITION AT WAITARA. RESULT OF POLL NULLIFIED. The question of the statutory weeklv half-holiday has been a prominent one recently, and as a result of the change from Thursday to Saturday decided upon in April last by the people of Waitara considerable unrest has arisen in that town. This was aggravated after June Ist, the date on which the new order of wnngs saould have taken effect, by reason of the fact that wuile some of the shopkeepers closed their premises on .Saturdays others refused, their Teal position not being- known. A News reporter waited upon the Inspector of Factories at New Plymouth (Air. J. S. Arnold) and questioned him upon the matter. Mr. Arnold stated that officially he had no knowledge of any poll having been taken at Waitara on the question. If it had, it would not come into force until it had been gazetted, and up to date no sucli Gazette notice had appeared. Therefore, as far, as he was concerned, Thursday was still 1 the statutory weekly halfholiday at Waitara, with the exception of those shopkeepers who, individually, had notified him of their wish to observe Saturday as the holiday.

The Shops and .Offices Act, lflOS, clause 17, sections 10 and 11, definitely state that the result of a poll on the question of the statutory weekly closing day shall be notified to the Minister of Labor by the mayor or town clerk of the 10-uil -authority concerned; while sub-section 11 distinctly states that that day appointed, by the pdll for the observance of the half-holiday shall bo the closing day for the district on and after the Ist day of June following the gazetting of the day decided on by the voters. This does not appear to have been done at Waitara. Whether the change can be made after the Ist day of June, 1915, or whether another poll must be. taken to alter the day from Thursday, is not known, but it is probable that another poll would have to be taken.