SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 January 1920, Page 4

SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY.

THE ATTITUDE OF OPUNAKE. Commenting editorially on the half holiday question, the Opunake Times eays: "On Thursday next a special meeting of the Town Board will he held for the purpose of deciding on what day of the week the weekly half-holiday shall be held in the town district during the present year. The question is an important one and we suggest that the Board receive some direction from the tradesmen of the town as to whether they favor Saturday being selected ns the day for the half-holiday. There appears to he a strong feeling throughout the country in favor of Saturday; the decision of the New Tlymouth Borough Council .giving impetus to that feelign. This gives the Saturday halfholiday a definite lead for Taran'aki and it is almost certain that within the near future the whole of the province will fall in line and so establish a universal half-holiday. The chief argument used against Saturday is that farmers would be inconvenienced by the change. This, of course, is absurd. Tt would not make a bit of difference to the farmer; he could coveniently reconcile himself to the change, and do his shopping on Friday or Saturday morning. Now that the most important Borough Council in Taranaki has adopted the Saturday half-holiday, the arguments in its favor have been strengthened, and it is to be hoped that the Town Board will follow the lead set. A conference of the shopkeepers of the town should he held at once and its decision on the question submitted to the Board. This would guide the Board in its deliberations."

THE POSITION IN ELTHAM. At the statutory meeting of the Kltham Borough Council on Friday, Or. Bridger, in moving that Thursday again be observed as the half holiday, said in doing bo he was guided by the resolution carried by a large majority at a recent meeting of shopkeepers in favor of Thursday. Cr.Hill seconded, and it was carrfed without discussion. As the result of the decision (states the Argus) it is likely that the Saturday halfholiday movement will not succeed in South Taranaki. Eltham could not afford to run the risk of adopting Saturday if Hawera failed to do the same, and thus it is not now likely that the change will ho made. If, however, it is really desired it can yet be accomplished by means of a petition, signed by « majority of the shopkeepers, and forwarded to the Minister of Internal Affairs before the end of the present month, It is certain, though, that local business men would not support such a petition unless a, similar one was forwarded simultaneously from Hawera, J