SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 April 1921, Page 6

SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY.

THE PROVINCIAL MOVEMENT, STRATFORD DELEGATES VISIT ELTHAM. (B’rom Our Own Correspondent.) Stratford, April 2. A delegation of Stratford business men who are working in the interests of the Saturday half-holiday, visited Eltham on Friday evening at the invitation of the Eltham Saturday Halfholiday Association, in order to explain to the Eltham Association the position of Stratford in regard to the movement. The delegation consisted of Messrs. W. McDonald (chairman of the Stratford Saturday Association), J. W. McMillan. (Mayor of Stratford), W. A. Hewitt, C. B. Walsh, G. Smart, D. Carman and W. R. Foley. There was an attenedance of about seventy people at the meeting, including a number of ladies, and Mr. W. J. Tristram (chairman of the local committee) presided. In welcoming the Stratford delegates, Mr. Tristram referred to the progress of the Saturday movement in Eltham, stating that a canvas had been made of the whole of the borough, and a good number of electors, particularly Saturday supporters, had been enrolled. A committee of 28 had been enrolled, and was working hard to ensure success at the poll, which they had every confidence would be in favor of Saturday by a substantial majority. The visit of the Stratford - delegates would considerably assist the movement in Eltham by showing that Stratford was not likely to revert to Thursday, as the opposition reported. Mr. McDonald, who was greeted with applause, said that Stratford had had a month’s trial of the Saturday halfholiday, and if they were to believe the statements of the Thursday people was now a bankrupt town. That, however, was far from being the position, and there was no likelihood of Stratford going 4 through. There were certainly a few very keen advocates of the Thursday, including the drapers and a few others, they needn’t take much notice of. It was true that the drapers were having a bad time, but they should remember that they had just finished their clearing sales, and that the present time was between the seasons, and was usually a slack period with them. But taking business generally, Stratford had nothing to complain of in connection with the half-holiday, when consideration was taken of the fact that the farmers did not have as much money to spend as formerly. Wool, baedn and hides were down, # and as a result the" farmers could not spend so much on luxuries, although they were buying the necessities as usual. As to the cry that Stratford trade was coming to Elthat was all nonsense, and he was satisfied that Eltham was not getting much Stratford business. The position merely was that the average farmer knew that the present was not a time for speculating, and he was holding on to his cash except for the necessities of life.

Speaking of the work of the Saturday Association in Stratford, Mr. McDonald said they were proceeding quietly, and in the meantime were letting the opposition spend their ammunition, but in about a week’s time they would get going propeid*. and he had very little doubt that Stratforu would carry Saturday. (Applause). Regarding his own personal experience of the change to Saturday. Mr. McDonald quoted figures to show that in his business (the Coop. Stores) the total returns for last month, under the Saturday half-holiday had been 42.5 per cent in excess of what they were for March last year, and his cash sales were 30.20 per cent greater. In this connection it should be remembered that in March last year there was no depression, and there was plenty of money about. His figures had been verified by disinterested parties. His experience was that business was now spread over the whole week, instead of being concentrated on Saturday as formerly. In conclusion, Mr. McDonald paid a tribute to the Mayor of Stratford for the action he had taken in endeavoring to bring about a provincial Saturday half-holiday, and expressed the opinion that after the polls had been taken and Saturday carried throughout Taranaki, Mr. McMillan would receive the thanks of the whole province for opening the way. (Applause). Mr. McMillan congratulated the Eltham Association on the splendid meeting, which he said was most satisfactory in view of the fact that many Saturday supporters were intimidated and afraid to come into the open. Stratford waited the Saturday half-holiday, not for jtself, but for the whole province, and in the end the whole Dominion, and he believed that before long the Government would introduce legislation making Saturday the universal halfholiday throughout the Dominion. When the Borough Council decided on Saturday for the half-holiday, the retailers said they were afraid that Eltham was going to reap the benefit, but now the I Stratford retailers hoped that Eltham would carry Saturday and Stratford Thursday in order that they would reap the benefit. It was a peculiar attitude for them to take up, because the business would not go from one town to another. He had, asked several, bank managers if they had received any more Stratford cheques through Eltham, and they had replied that they had found no difference at all, and that as far as ‘they knew no business was going to Eltham which formerly came to Stratford. The retailers in Stratford had turned a complete somersault on the position, simply b(*cause they had a bad week when the change was first made, but the opposition was now weakening, and one of the leading drapers—a strong Thursday man—had informed him that that day (Friday) had been a very good day with him, ’and he (Mr. McMillan) believed that before the poll many of those now advocating Thursday would vote for (Saturday. He did not like ’to see jealousy existing between two neighboring towns, and the unfortunate position which had arisen was the result of the retailers’ action. It had been said that those advocating Saturday were placing sport before business, but that was entirely wrong. The Saturday people were not ashamed of sport, which they believed should be fostered, but it was wrong to say that if they all had their sport on Saturday afternoon business would suffer. He personally believed that in the end it would be much better for business-. The Rugby Union had intimated that football matches , v'ere to be plaved on Saturday and all would have to fall into line, and he did not think they should be atfraid to say straight out that they wt site cl to assist clean sport such as football, cricket, etc. He assured the meeting that there was every prospect of Stratford carrying Saturday at the poll. (Applause).

Air. G. Smart, of the firm of Smart Bros., plumbers, said that he had made inquiries into the attitude of those'men who previously had had Saturday when the shops were open on that day. It had been said that some of these men were taking a selfish view of the matter, and were going to vote for Thursday, but he had found that the men engaged in trades were practically all in favor of Saturday. Eltham need not be frightened of Stratford going back on the Saturday half-holiday. (Applause). Mr. W. A* Hewitt (manager of'the N.Z. Loan ajid Mercantile Agency Co.) said that from the point of view of the auctioneers Saturday was certainly the best day, and 90 per, cent of the staff of the auctioneers in Stratford would vote for Saturday. Even if they did lose a little at first they were prepared to make the change for the sake of the majority of the people, but the shopkeepers, on the other hand, were looking at the matter from entirely a selfish point of view. He believed the strongest opposition would come from the women, and he believed that they should be canvassed. Regarding the argument that country children could not come into town if Saturday was carried, he pointed out that the children had ample holidays from school, to enable them to be brought to town as often as was good for them. He asked all present to work hard for the Saturday, and he felt sure that after it had been given a fair trial the public would thank those who worked to get it carried. (Applause). Mr. B. Gower, who until recently, was a resident of Hamilton, said that when Hamilton carried Saturday the same bogeys were raised as were being used in Taranaki at the present time, ‘but after a fair trial all the bogeys disappeared, and the Saturday half-holiday had been such a success in Hamilton that Cambridge, a neighboring town, was now following suit. (Applause). Mr. W. R. Foley (secretary of the Sports and Pastimes Club), said that his executive was solidly in favor of Saturday, because from a sporting point of view Saturday was the best day. He believed that practically all who were interested in sport would vote for Saturday. (Applause). On the motion of the chairman, the Stratford delegates were accorded a hearty vote of thanks by acclamation, the visitors afterwards being entertained at supper.