KING’S BIRTHDAY

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 December 1936, Page 5

KING’S BIRTHDAY

CHANGE OF DATE PROPOSED. [PEB PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH, December 21. A proposal that various bodies of employers in the Dominion should make representations to the Government to have- the King’s Birthday observed on a day earlier in the year than December 14, was made at a meeting of the Finance Committee of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association. It was reported at the meeting that observance of a holiday on December 14 had given industry a bad setback, and • had cost employers many hundreds of pounds through payment for the day and inability to fill orders. Instances were given of £2OO and £lOO being lost by two firms, and in one case it was alleged that £7OO had been the cost of the holiday. Mr T. Hyde, secretary of the Association, said to-day that the problem had given rise to a good deal of discussion among manufacturers, and it was shown that the cost to industry was enormous and the cost of the holiday had not been anticipated, and had occurred in a period of work on goods previously contracted for. Mr Hyde said he hoped arrangements could be made for earlier observance of the holiday in future years, so that losses and disruption of Christmas trade would not recur.