THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 January 1921, Page 6

THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

POSITION IN ELTHAM. WAITING HAWERA’S DECISON. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Stratford, Last Night. There has been much speculation regarding the attitude wfiielj, IJltham would take up in the event of Stratford deciding on Saturday as the day of the weekly half-holiday, and enquiries were made to-day as to the feeling of the town on the question. The Eltham Borough Council will meet on Friday, January 28, for the purpose of discussing the half-holiday question, but up to the present the council has received no lead from the •business people. It is felt, however, that the council will vote for Thursday to be retained, unless it can be satisfied that Hawera will decide on the Saturday. One business man pointed out that Eltham is not afraid so much of Stratford as of Hawera, and as they are in the unhappy position at the present time of seeing business go to Hawera which should come to Eltham, he thought it would be a very unwise policy to make the change unless Hawera changed to Saturday at the same time. At the same time he was in favor of Saturday closing, and believed that if steps were taken in Hawera for the holding of a poll on* the question, Eltham would certainly follow suit. But they wanted to be sure of Hawera’s intentions before they did anything to bring about the change in Eltham. If polls were held simultaneously in . Eltham and Hawera he believed both towns would emphatically decide on Saturday for the weekly half-holiday. STRATFORD’S SATURDAY DECISION. DISCUSSION BY THE COUNCIL. VIEWS OF BUSINESS PEOPLE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Stratford, Jan. 18As announced in the Daily News yesterday, the Stratford Borough Council, at a special meeting on Monday night, decided, on the casting vote of the Mayor, to fix Saturday as the day for the weekly half-holiday, and the change will operate early next month..

When the meeting opened. Mr. C. E. James, president of the Retailers’ Association, on -behalf of a deputation, said the association, bad heard numerous rumors that Saturday would be adopted and had decided that it was in the best interest of the retailers that Thursday should be retained.

Mr. R. 11. White, president of the Drapers’ and Clothiers’ Association, said his association was unanimously of the opinion that any alteration would be detrimental to Stratford as a town. At the same time, if Saturday was universally adopted, they would support it. Correspondence was then read, and this included letters from the Retailers’ and Drapers’ Associations objecting to the change being made to Saturday unless it was universal. A petition was also received signed by 275 shop and ofiice employees, asking the council to decide in favor of Saturday. In reply to questions by councillors; Air- White said that in a place like Stratford, which had practically n| manufacturing concerns, they had to . study the interests of the farmers more so than in differently situated* towns, ' and the farmers preferred to do their j shopping on Saturdays as at present. M-. R. D. LeWors (draper) thoug-ht the same amount of business would not be done by the retailers if they closed on Saturday.

The Mayor said that in accordance with his well-known opinions on the matter he proposed to move that Saturday be appointed the day of the weekly half-holiday in Stratford. Speaking to his motion, he said he had no intention of doing anything to the detriment of the business of the town, and he did not think the proposed change wfiuld be detrimental. The principal argument against the change seemed to be that if the council decided on Saturday the business which now came to Stratford would go to Eltham, but he believed that was quite a fallacy. He then referred to the position of Waverley, which had adopted Saturday closing in-spite of the opposition of the drapers. He contended that all that was wanted was for Stratford to* give a load. In spite of what they did that night a poll would be taken in April and they could then reverse the decision if it was found that Saturday was unsatisfactory. He would make a proviso to his motion to that effect, and if Saturday was favored that night, it would serve as a trial until the poll in April.

Cr. B. Walsh seconded the motion, stating that he believed in giving Saturday a trial. Cr- R. H. Cameron also supported the motion, contending that Stratford should now give a lead in the matter. Cr. W. H. H. Young opposed the motion strongly. He said the council should consider the interests of the business people, who were opposed to Saturday unless it was adopted universally in Taranaki. Ci*. C. Jackson supported the motion on the grounds that the council had to consider all sections of the community, and he was convinced that public opinion was in favour of the change. He referred to the position in the Waikato, which was a farming district. Hamilton decided on Saturday, and within a year all the towns in the Waikato changed to Saturday.

Cr. S. B. Hunter opposed the motion, because lie believed the change to Saturday would be a dangerous and unnecessary experiment.. Cr. W. J. Menton supported the motion, and Crs. T. Samson, O. Stewart, and J. H. Thompson opposed it on the grounds that the change would be inimical to the best interests of Stratford. The motion was then put to the meeting and the devision resulted as follows—For Saturday: The Mayor and Crs. Cameron, Jackson. A'lenton, and Walsh. Against: C'rs. Young. Stewart, Thompson, Larson, and Hunter. The Afayor gave his casting vote for the motion and declared it carried. Cr. Young and Cr. Cameron rose to a point of order, pointing out that the Afayor, in giving his casting vote for the motion, had acted contrary to the usual procedure, and expressed the hope that the Afayor would reconsider the ma tter. The Afayor explained that he gave his casting vote for the motion because he really belleyed he was acting in the best interests of the town generally by doing so. Cr. Young gave notice of motion that the resolution be rescinded, and the„ c®nclude<L -