SUPPORT FOR SATURDAY SHOPPING IS WELCOMED

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29210, 21 May 1960, Page 4

SUPPORT FOR SATURDAY SHOPPING IS WELCOMED

The New Brighton Businessmen’s Association is pleased to have the Canterbury Progress League's support in its resistance to any curtailment of Saturday shopping at New Brighton. A statement to this effect was made to “The Press” by Mr C. C. McEwin, the New Brighton Businessmen’s Association president. "The Saturday service provided by New Brighton businesses for holidaymakers and visitors has been fully recognised by Reform, Labour and National governments in the past, and also by the present Labour Government,” Mr McEwin said. “When the 40-hour week was introduced, it surely was never intended to limit anything other than the hours to be worked. Service should therefore be free from limitation in the interests of all the people.” he said. For more than 50 years, New Brighton had favoured Wednesday as its closing day, in preference to Saturday, Mr McEwen. said. The amalgamation of the New Brighton borough with Christchurch had been conditional on Wednesday Closing being preserved, and no really serious objections nad been raised against that preference. “If New Brighton people wish

to work on Saturdays when others are enjoying a full weekend holiday, that is their concern,” Mr McEwin said. “No difficulty has been experienced in obtaining staff in the district, even though Saturday work is the rule.” The Saturday shopping service in New Brighton had been fully recognised also by the Shops and Offices Tribunal (Mr H. J. Thompson, S.M.). Weaknesses in the drafting of the Shops and Offices Act and amendments, however, had provided opportunities for opponents of Saturday .shopping to endeavour to curtail the existing facilities for shopping. “Corrections to the Shops and Offices Act need to be made if we are to enjoy reasonable freedom in shopping activities,” Mr McEwin said. “These days, when many husbands and wives both go to work, there is no shopping time available other than the sacrifice of the lunch hour—which obviously is not enough.”