Bay of Plenty Times. TUESDAY, APRIL 11th., 1933. THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LX, Issue 11088, 11 April 1933, Page 2

Bay of Plenty Times. TUESDAY, APRIL 11th., 1933. THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

The important issue at the coming municipal elections on May 3rd will undoubtedly be the matter of the day on which the half-holiday is to be observed in Tauranga. At the moment it promises to eclipse the elections themselves. It is unfortunate that the question should have been raised at such a time, but having been raised it is essential that it should be thoroughly ventilated before polling day. Most electors will be familiar with the arguments regularly presented in favour of closing on Saturday. At the outset it can be admlted that the majority of people who are fortunate enough to enjoy a halfday holiday' each week prefer or would prefer to have it on Saturday, but we have never been able to understand the man who keeps shop clamouring to close it when his patrons, or would-be patrons, are at leisure to buy. That in many towns it is done, and business survives, seems no argument in favour of the practise. Unfortunately the method of deciding the half-holiday day is about the most unfair and undesirable imaginable. A man keeping shop, with the aid of two assistants, who may want Saturday—or any other day for that matter —finds himself in the invidious position of being very definitely dictated to as to how he shall run his business. It is questionable whether, if the owners of retail businesses were alone permitted to vote, Saturday would ever have been carried anywhere, but we have to face the position as we find it. At no period in the Dominion’s history has it been of such vital importance that business should proceed with as little interruption, change or dislocation as at present. Every business connection possible must remain undisturbed and and the possibility of the town being thrown *into a state of business disruption by a change of the half-holi-day to Saturday cannot be faced with /equanimity. As between Wednesday 1 and Thursday the latter would probi ably better suit the business of the town, but there is a very real danger that any effort to have that change made can only result in even a small difference of opinion leaving Saturday with a majority. No argument will convince us that the town closed to purchasers on Saturday would not lose business, certainly at the outset, and we believe permanently. That is cogent enough reason to condemn the proposal, but there are other important reasons which render the change undesirable. Just as strongly as we believe that business would be affected do we feel that employment would be affected —the one is the natural corollary of the other, : and that prospect cannot lightly be I set aside. Then too our young peoj pie must not overlook the all import(ant question of their sport. Reasonable opportunity for games

and enjoyment are as essential as work, but with Saturday as the general half-holiday a serious" position would be created. Is either the hockey association or the football union prepared to face immediately, the task of finding another playing ground than that provided on the Domain? We know that neither could, and even it the financial difficulty could be overcome, where in the borough is a suitable ground to be found? This question of course has to be faced sooner or later, as we have urged for many years past, and Saturday closing would merely hasten the day when it must be considered, but no one surely will argue that the present is the most propitious time to undertake the task of acquiring fresh playing fields. Tennis, bowls and golf too would suffer severely by the inevitable congestion, and it is well to recognise, apart altogether from business considerations, exactly what the change would mean. The business men affected—that is, the retailers—should meet and decide on the day they prefer, make that decision widely known, and make a spirited appeal for general support at the poll for that day. If that is done we believe electors generally would be quite agreeable to accept the wishes of a majority of the retailers and vote accordingly.