THE HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 18 February 1921, Page 5

THE HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION

I A LIVELY DISCUSSION. ' RETAILERS' ASSOCIATION FAVOUR WEDNESDAY. A meeting of the Hawera Retailers' Association wa s held in the Borough Council Chambers last evening to consider the half-holiday question. Mr. Gilbert (president) occupied the chair and there was a fair attendance. Mr. Gilbert said they had met bo consider the vexed question of the half- i holiday. The executive, which had' given the matter very careful consideration, thought it should be fully discussed at a general meeting of members. There were two sides to the question, and it was their business as an association to find out exactly where they were. He hoped that the discussion would be quite free, and that there would be a frank expression of opinion. Mr. Hooker asked whether an unfinancial member could vote. The chairman replied that he could. Mr. Westaway moved: "That it-is the considered opinion of the Hawera Retailers' Association i that the changing of the half-holiday I from Wednesday to Saturday would! he a,disaster to the retail business of Hawera and inimical to the hest interests of this town and district, and that the association pledges itself to do all in its power to retain the Wednesday half-holiday.'' Mr. Barraclough seconded. Mr. Westaawy, who was invited to give reasons for the motion, Wd that it was his opinion that an alteration would be against the best interests of' the town. At present they were en-' joying prosperity. Two-thirds of their business came from the country and Saturday was the best business day of the .week. Thursday was good, but Saturday was better. More money was taken sometimes on a Saturday than for all the remainder of the week. Saturday was the best day for the country people. From 80 to 85 per cent. of. the retailers were in favour of Wednesday, and the agitation in favour of Saturday came from professional people, who were in such a position that they could do" much of their work at night, though this was not permissible with shopkeepers. The professional people were making money all the time. Mr. Tibbetts, referring to the motor trade, said he thought it was a pity that the people should oe divided. Mr. Bone said1 the only argument he had heard when the matter was previously discussed was that Saturday was in the interests of sport, and he wished to know whether there was anything better to offer. now j n favour of the change than this time-worn argument. Were they going to change after 17 years' .experience had shown them that Saturday was the best business day. They were told that they were bound to get their business, but what they were looking for was niore business. He pointed out that the taking of a poll was no guarantee vfchat Saturday would be .adopted throughout Taranaki. They could only bring about a change in Hawera. That was a matter that should be very fully* explained. When there was so much unrest about why should they try to Create more' With 85 per cent, in favour of Wednesday they could not a>k for a much more united front. They need not worry about what Eltham would do. Mr. Bone pointed out that Hawera with its good roads was differently situated to places like Wanganui, which was always being held up to. them. Here they had. a great Tush of business at the week-ends. Mr. Sargent pointed out that the great advantage of Wednesday was that it made a break in the middle of the week, and this was the main idea AvJien Wednesday was adopted. Mr. Dowling did not think that parents coming to town wished to be bothered with their children, and would prefer to come to town when the children were at school. If Saturday was adopted farmers would see their way to spread their business over the weeky instead of it coming in a rush at the end of the week. Mr. Harrop pointed out that they were only a small percentage of the public, which would really decide the matter. He believed the public would carry Saturday at the poll, and they were only butting into the public by supporting Wednesday. Mr. Hooker: How many members are there in \the association ? The chairman: Sixty-eight: Mr. Hooker: Is any member entitled to know who they are. The chairman: That is something which I am prepared to let the meeting decide. Mr. Hooker: Suppose I came along as secretary of the Saturday HalfHoliday Association and asked for the members' names would I get them? The president: No. Mr. Hooker: If I asked as a member for the names of my co-members would t get them ? The president: I would probably give you the same answer as I did yesterday. Mr. Hooker: If a member in charge oi the requisition before this meeting asked for the names of members would he get them? ! The president: Yes. It was because I knew that it was the opposition body that wanted the names that I did notj feel justified in giving the information without referring it to th.c meeting. Mr. Tibbetts said there were certain people in the town who did not know whether they were members or not, that was why the list was asked for on behalf of .'the Saturday Half-Holiday As-! sociation. ' j Mr. Hooker said he had fought once for Wednesday, but he had changed his opinion. He moved about in Taranaki a good deal and heard the opinions that were freely expressed. The general feeling was in favour of ■ Saturday. Where did they get this idea in the first place? From the Government. Mr. Bone had to give some of his employees a Saturday half-holiday, and so did he. The chairman: Are you proposing an amendment? m , Mr Hooker: I am speaking to the motion. I thought you wanted a free discussion. The president: We are not getting any further. We want a vote, not talk. Mr Hooker: You say that' 85 per cent- of the business people favour Wednesday. Where aTe they? They are not sufficiently interested to attend the meeting. There rue only '>o here. Had they seen the statement" by Mr Ross, who spoke for the drapers of Palmerston North, and said that he could show by his books that he had done better business since they closed on a Saturday. In Waikato a subleader had been published in the paper stating that they would not go back to Wednesday. Some at the meeting spoke of the farmer, but there was not an organisation associated with the farmer that did not close on a Saturday. The chairman pointed out that at Feildincr Friday was the market day, not Saturday. Mr Hooker: Tt had been said that 83 per cenif of the retailers in Hawera were in favour of Wednesday. He had two lists, one of which was signed by nearly 800. in favour of Saturday.

' He had all the big business men excepting Bennett and Sutton on a list of business people. Replying to the chairman, Mr Hooker said he did not go near the solicitors. When the matter was last discussed the chief opposition cam© from the solicitors, and now they had adopted Saturday without any reference to the rest: of the people. He had' assisted in the forming of an association in favour of Saturday for the whole of Taranaki, and they . were going to get Saturday in Eltham, [ Stratford, New Plymouth, Hawera ! and Waitara. Eltham was the first to move In favour of Saturday, and the letter which first came from there to Hawera got into the hands of the Retailers' Association. Had the chairman a copy of the letter sent in reply lo it.Jth.am. and would he read it? The chairman did not think it necessary The matter had been dealt with by the executive in a proper way i Jr r H?(?K er Produced and read "the letter, which was opposed to at change from Wednesday to Saturday. He asked for the date on which the executive received the letter from Eltnam. A voice: What does it matter Mr Hooker: You will see when I have finished. The president: I'll have to put on a time limit. It was considered by the executive on January 14 of this year, and the full executive with the except tion or one was present. I Mr Hooker: There were seven at the meeting and.they accepted the whole ! responsibility of expressing the view that the retailers were not open to discuss the matter. It had tad two months to get it before members. The president: They had beenl anxious to have the matter brought ' before a meeting of the association. | Ibe delay was due to the fact that • they could not get the Borough Conn- * cil Chambers for three weeks. I Mr Hooker: The executive had not taken members into their confidence. ' 1 here were other buildings, and the Saturday half-holiday people had had two meetings in the Council Chambers j Ihe president said he would like to have an expression of opinion as to the executive's action Mr Bone moved that the meeting uphold the executive's action. Mr Dowling rose to a point "of order Uie former motion should be dealt with^first. > ■ ■ Mr"Robb said there was not a possibility of.Eltham carrying Saturday, rhey were canvassing very actively against it.' The chairman informed the meeting that the provincial executive of the Farmers Union had carried a resolution that day that Saturday would be averse to the interests of farmers. (Applause.) The motion was put and carried by 13 to 8 votes. Mr Bone then moved his motion, which was seconded by Mr Sargent and carried. The chariman said' they did not want to oppose the movement for Saturday, but in the interests of the business people they were bound to do *o. They had to put their case before the public and let them decide. An application was received" from the Hawera Amateur Athletic Club, asking for permission to canvass the tradespeople for trophies.—The request was granted. The A. and P. Association wrote asking that the . business peorrie close on both days of the show in the afternoon. ■ \ ' *# The president, said they must close on the Wednesday, and it was r>eople's day that it was most desirable from the show point of view to close on,— The request was granted. j The Motor Cycle Club asked that ' shops be closed from 11 a.m. on March 9, the day of their annual sports.— Agreed to. | On the motion of Mr Bone, it was decided that the thirteen* who had voted for Wednesday be a committee to assist in giving effect to the resolution. . i