SHOPPING HOURS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 October 1940, Page 7

SHOPPING HOURS

PROTEST BY FARMERS’ UNION. AGAINST INTERFERENCE WITH LOCAL BODY POWERS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WANGANUI. October 23. Opposition to the proposal to have shops closed all day on Saturday and no Friday late night was expressed at today’s meeting of the Wanganui provincial executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, when a circular oh the subject was received from headquarters. Mr H. E. Frederick said he thought the idea a good one, and "farmers should have a whole day, too.” Mr W. Morrison said farmers needed Saturday morning for shopping, and Mr W. Peat agreed, stating that the executive should enter a protest against the proposal. Farmers were asked to increase production, said Mr Peat, and if shops were shut on Saturday farmers would shop in the middle of' the week, making a gap which would have the effect of setting back production in counties where stores were few.

The question of half-days was decided by a public meeting, said Mr W. Morrison, and the proposal before the executive meant that local authorities would be deprived of any authority in the fixing of the day. Mr A. P. Melville agreed that a whole holiday for shops on Saturday would be adverse to farming production, and said that with a war on it was wrong to suggest such a plan. A motion by Mr D. Sutherland protesting against any removal of the power of local authorities in the matter was seconded by Mr Peat and carried.