FIXING OF THURSDAY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 227, 8 September 1936, Page 6

FIXING OF THURSDAY

The interesting point that in the event of the shopkeepers of Hastings deciding to observe Saturday afternoon as the weekly half-holiday instead of Thursday, as at present, there will, in effect, be two half-days in Hastings was mentioned to a reporter this morning by one disinterested authority on legal procedure.

The position at present, he pointed out, is that Thursday is the statutory half-holiday. “This has been authorised by a poll of the electors and duly gazetted,” he said, “and the provisions of the Act make it quite clear that this decision must stand for all time unless there be another poll on the question.” He mentioned that originially Hastings observed Wednesday half-day, but this was changed by resolution of the Borough Council to Thursday, and that resolution was duly gazetted, but the resolution had to be carried at a meeting of the council every year and gazetted on each occasion. The taking of a poll on the question, however, removed the matter from the Borough Council and became a standing order, being irrevocable except by the decision of another poll. However, this does not in any way affect the rights of the occupiers of shops to observe Saturday afternoon as the half-day if they so desire. Any one trader, or any particular section oi the trading community, may observe Saturday afternoon as a holiday provided the necessary notice is given to the Inspector of Factories and Awards. The occupier is entitled by law to make the change if he wishes to and his decision can be made without regard to any question of a poll. It was pointed out that if the proposed change was made Hastings would then be in the same position as Palmerston North, where the statutory halfday is Wednesday. By collective, as well as by individual, decision on the part of the shopkeepers they have changed over to Saturday, but while they may observe Saturday as the halfholiday they cannot get away from the fact that officially in accordance with the legislation and the gazette notice governing the question Wednesday is the statutory half-day.