THE HALF-HOLIDAY,

Taranaki Daily News, 14 January 1921, Page 4

THE HALF-HOLIDAY,

, WILL IT BE SATURDAY? STRATFORD MAY GIVE LEAD.(From Our Own Correspondent.) .Stratford, Last Night. There seems to be a big possibility that Stratford will lead Taranaki by adopting the Saturday half-holiday ir lieu of the present mid-week half-holi day. The matter has to be decided a the meeting of the Borough Council o: Monday evening next. In conversation with several councillors, the Daily News representative wad lead to believe that the council will vote for the change to Saturday without waiting for a vote of the electors to be held. It is contended that the great majority of the citizens are in favor of the Saturday half-holiday and that it only requires one town to make the change, and the rest of the province will follow suit. The only obstacle in the way of the change is the natural fear that one or more of the boroughs may* stick to the mid-week half-holiday in order to gain an advantage, but even if this the case for a while, it is safe to assume that the electors of that town or towns, would soon realise the advantages of . Saturday closing and would demand a change. In the present circumstances, the Borough Council can either declare for Saturday or Thursday, or leave the matter to be fixed by the Labor Department, but it.cannot order a vote of the people to be taken,on the question. That can only be done on receipt of a petition signed by a certain percentage of the electors. It is still possible, therefore, that the councillors may feel that the question is too big for them to decide and will leave the matter in the hands of the Labor Department. If this ie done, the advocates of Saturday closing can Then force a vote on the issue by circulating a petition, and if this action was taken promptly the ballot could bi held at the time of the municipal elec tions in April. Tn the meantime individual councillor! are securing opinions on the matter anc are endeavoring to ascertain whaC would be the attitude of other boroughs in the event, of Stratford adopting Saturday. The decision of the council on Monday will therefore be awaited with much interest.

NEW PLYMOUTH POSITION. A SATURDAY MOVEMENT. POLL OF RATEPAYERS NECESSARY, i The fixing of the weekly half-holiday in the various towns comes up for decision at the January meeting of the Borough Councils. A somewhat different position obtains in New Plymouth, however, as the question having been decided by a poll some years ago, the decision arrived at then can only be altered by another poll. x It is understood there is a movement afoot among supporters of the Saturday 'iialf-holiday to present a petition to the council asking that a poll be taken on the issue at the municipal elections in April, in order to give burgesses an opportunity of voting on the proposals.