WEDNESDAY CLOSING.

Grey River Argus, 29 April 1929, Page 4

WEDNESDAY CLOSING.

That under the Wednesday half holiday system, Greymouth has prospered cSiiuot be denied —new business places have been built, others modernised until to-day we have shops of whch w e can be justly proud and which rank second to none (apart from those of the cities) in the Dominion. Visitors to Greymouth have repeatedly remarked on the excellence of ou*r business emporiums wondering how so small a plaqe (we have butG,OOO people) could warrant such shops. To the stranger this question would of course naturally arise, but when it has been explancd that Greymouth js the busintjs Centre of the richest coa» and timber districts in the Dominion the establishment of such shops is readily understood. In this connection it is no exaggeration state that seventy-five per cent of the money earned in the mines and mills of the district is spent in Greymouth and that no less than sixty per cent of this on th J millers’ and miners’ half holiday, which is Saturday, and these facts are directly responsible for the coming into being of the handsome business premises which adorn the town. Surely this is proof that we must give adequate shopping facilities to those who to-day contribute in such a large measure to Greymouth’s growth and development and this of course, can be best carried out by supporting the present half holiday. Wednesday which gives good service not only to country residents but to townspeople as well and which ha> proved eminently satisfactory. It is wis«*r to be sure than experiment as did Westport {(which found itself depleted of half its trade as a result and had to revert to the mid-week half-holiday) and support the day best suited to the district—Wednesday.