SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 March 1921, Page 6

SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY.

STRATFORD’S FIRST EXPERIENCE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Stratford, March 5. Stratford has now completed its first week with Saturday as the day of the i half-holiday instead of Thursday, and although it is too early to form an opinion as to how the change will affect the town, the retailers generally report that the past week has resulted in a diminution in trade, as compared with previous weeks. This difference, in many instances, is due entirely to the public not preparing themselves for Saturday closing, by placing their orders earlier in the week. Eleventh-hour orders were received by butchers and grocers this morning from the forgetful ones, and as it was then impossible to deliver the goods, many in consequence had to go without. Last night was the first occasion on which the shops kept open until 9 p.m. on a Friday, but business was not brisk, and this morning, which it was expected would be comparatively quiet, was on the other hand, almost as busy as the usfial Saturday morning. At noon to-day the shops closed their doors, and from then on, Stratford assumed its usual Thursday afternoon appearance.

The fear that Stratford would lose a good amount of business to Eltham on Saturdays, was not substantiated to-day. A Stratford visitor to Eltham this afternoon, states that he saw only seven motor cars bearing Stratford registrations in Eltham. two of which, he knew were from Ngaere, and he did not meet any Stratford borough residents in the town. Inquiries from the Railway Department, go to show that no extra, tickets were issued to Eltham or New Plymouth to-day as a result of the half-holiday. Most Stratford residents believe that conditions will soon return to normal again, and a special effort is to be made to attract the country people on Fridays—the Saturday of the future?