LARGER CROWDS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 70, 19 September 1936, Page 11

LARGER CROWDS

CITY ON SATURDAYS THE SHORTER WEEK FATHER GOES SHOPPING It seemed almost as certain as night follows day that one of the immediate results of 'the introduction of the shorter working week would be a considerable increase in the number of people in town of a Saturday morning. That has come to pass, even though quite a big percentage of the working community is not yet enjoying the five-day week that has fallen to the lot of many of their fellows. Even without the five-day week Saturday morning in Wellington had come to be not a particularly good morning for a fast walker with much to do and many calls to make, but now the position is far worse. This morning, for example, crowds thronged Cuba Street, Manners Street, and Willis Street, and one either had to fair in with the slow walking pace of those ahead or step off the footpath, take the risk of being able to dodge motor vehicles and suffer the shrill blasts from behind of motor horns, with the attendant possibility of stimulating the appearance of more grey hairs. Not only were. there . many people about, but also many cars. In Cuba Street, on either side, cars parked by the kerb and unattended were common, and when a "Post" reporter, was threading his way along the footpath about 11 o'clock one of the city traffic inspectors was busily engaged with book and pencil. "This increased leisure seems to mean increased work for you," it was suggested to him. "It looks like it," was all he had to say. He was too busy to talk. A PAY-DAY QUESTION.

Shops must be benefiting as a result of the larger crowds in the city of a Saturday morning, even though, as on the late shopping night on Friday, there is no doubt a percentage whohave just come to town for the sake of being in town. One noticeable feature of the crowd today was that there were many more men' about than there used to be between 9 a.m. and 11a.m. Some seemgd to have nothing in particular to do, and possibly there were wives at home in some cases who wished, as has been suggested, that pay-day, instead of being at the end of the week, was, say, on Tuesday, so that as much.money as possible might: be expended on things that were most wanted. BLASTED HOPES. But there were many other men who obviously had plenty to do. Some of them perhaps had visions when the announcement of the shorter working week was announced of lying abed a little on Saturday morning arid going and doing just where and what they felt inclined. -It seems,plain, however, that some wives have'seen to it that this does not. happen. "There's no 40-. hour week for us," they may think. "John William with his free Saturday morning can have a turn at getting the weekend provisions and wrestling with the crowds in .the shops and on the trams." . : No doubt there are some who are nurturing such thoughts as these, but whether or not, there were many-fathers in town today with bags and parcels, and some of them had the "youngest"- with them, too. HANDS-IN-POCKETS MEN. '

Loaded though some of the: fathers in town today were, most of them seemed to be able to keep one hand free and this largely was in a trouser pocket or an overcoat pocket. It is, peculiar how many men have this habit. It is so common that probably most Jlfw Zealanders do not notice it. A visitor to. the Dominion recently did, and commented on it. What he says is true. This morning on a walk down Willis Street practically every man had at least one hand in a pocket. The reason is not because the picking of pockets is rife here, and Welling-, tonians most certainly have not the reputation' of not being free with their money!