THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14977, 24 April 1909, Page 11

THE HALF-HOLIDAY.

SATURDAY OR THURSDAY? Jlore interest is taken by tradesmen in the poll on the half-holiday question than has been taken in any municipal question for many years. The voting will-be taken on Wednesday, together with the poll for the election of Mayor and Councillors, and two factions, representing Thursday and Saturday, are putting foj.th their best efforts to gain the day. IN FAVOUR OP THURSDAY. There are large numbers of retailers who hold very strong opinions in favour of retaining Thursday, which, they believe, is tee most suitable day oi the week in all respects. Drapers, confectioners, restaurant-keepers, grocers, clothiers, chemists, tobacconists, butchers, bakers and fruiterers all say that the proposed change from Thursday to Saturday would be disastrous to them, inconvenient to the public, and bad for general trade in the city. Many of these tradesmen produced their cash-books and other evidence when they were interviewed by a reporter, to show that Saturday's trade, on the average, is equal to the trade of any other two days and a half. It is large casual trade, coming from country customers, who spend the" day in the city, and if Saturday is a "closed day" nearly all of. this trade will go out of the city and will be absorbed by small stores'in the country. Retailers, in fact, seem to agree that Saturday's trade is of such peculiar character that it must not be tampered with. It- cannot be transferred from ' Saturday to another day of the week. It must bo caught on Saturday, or it will be absolutely lost to the city. In most cases, apparently, three-quarters of Saturday's trade is done after one • o'clock, and a large part of it is dono after six o'clock. It has been urged that, if there was a half-holiday on Saturday, there could be a " late night" on Friday ; but it is objected to this proposal that country people and artisans would not come into the city on Friday night, as they would have to start work again next morning. Friday night, therefore, would never' be a • substitute for the "Saturday night," upon which retailers rely for a great deal of their profits.' Drapers say that the promoters of the Saturday half-holiday movement are asking them to, relinquish a sure trade for a trade which would be very uncertain, and which, as a matter of fact, • might be found to have no existence whatever. Even, the "exempted" tradesmen believe that the change would be disastrous. Confectioners, tobacconists, chemists, butchers, bakers and fruiterers are exempted from closing on the regular half-holiday, > but they say that if shops generally were closed on Saturday afternoon, there would be such a falling-off in the number of people in the streets that they, with other retailers, would suffer "severe \ hardships. Retailers seem to fear most the opening a Saturday half-holiday would give to competing country stores. The country's competition with the city is keen enough under the present conditions. It 'w stated that it woidd be ten time more so if ,the change were made. It'is argued on all sides that a Saturday half-holiday would bring sbout a reduction of profits that would aecessitate a reduction in expenses, and that, of course, in its turn, would bring about a reduction in the staffs, arid workers who are now fully employed would have to be dispensed with. One of the arguments which the retailers put forward against the Saturday half-holiday is that about fifteen years ago it was given a trial in Christehurch, and was proved to be an utter failure. On that occasion, a clothier told the reporter, a by-law was passed declaring that a half-holiday should be" observed in Christehurch on Saturday. Shrewd business people in the country immediately let contracts for the erection of big stores, and set themselves out for a large increase of business. The feeling in the city became s 6 strong that city tradesmen refused to abide by the regulation, and they opened their shops in defiance of it. Several retailers state that, although there is deep respect for statulaw, it is quite probable that an unmistakable protest will be made again if the citizens decide for Saturday.

SATURDAY'S SUPPORTERS. A small storekeeper who has had an extensive experience in Christclwrch stated that ho was decidedly in favour of Saturday as the half-holiday. It -n'as •much bettor to have the holiday at the end of tho week than to have it in the middle. It had been argued that the closing of tho shops on Saturday would lose the Saturday night trade, but as far as he was concerned the change would, if anything, operate ho Fiis advantage, because the trade for Sunday would bo done on Saturday morning, and the housewives would not go all the way into town to shop when there were small stores lyaidy. Another storekeeper said that most of the people went to the city on Saturday nights and did their shopping in the big shops while there, but if the shops were shut on Saturday night they would probably do their buying on Saturday morning, and for convenience sake would patronise the small stores. Anyhow, tho trade on Saturday nights haa been greatly magnified, and there was not half so much as the public had been led to believe. Thursday was always an nwkward break in the week, *nd Saturday would be better in every ray.

The manager of a large furnishing business Stated that the firm had a large factory in connection with its business, and aa the employees in the factory had the Saturday holiday it was advisable to close the warehouse on that day also. Tho firm did not depend upon a night trado at ail; it would hardly pay for lighting. ' The principal music warehouses have already adopted the Saturday halfholiday, and have given it a trial for about "twelve months, so that they are [it a position to judge of results. Their reason for making the change, a member of one firm said, was the fact that they had workshops in some cases, irhere the employees were compelled by awards to take tho Saturday half-holi-day. It was therefore necessary that eomebody should bo back at the shop on Thursdays, when the workshop employees were engaged, and there was « consequent loss. Wednesday, being market day, had become the principal day with them. Trade had not fallen aw'ay at all, but, if anything, had increased since Saturday closing had been adopted. There was a brisker Monday trade that more than compensated for the loss of Saturday night. Thursday morning had' never been any good to thoro. «.•'■« The Acad of a large firm of jewellers itaid tlat, as a firm, his house was very much in favour of a Saturday half-hpli-3ay. At one time a largo turnover had fceet done on a Saturday, but it was comparatively small now. and ho felt flU'o that the general public would tpry soon realise the great benefit that rould be derived if all the places in the city could close up 'at'tho same time, instead of, as at present, in two lections. A great many persons who supplied the better class of trade would not come out on a Thursday morning, because Thursday was tho Italf-holidav. That trade was lost, as those persons did not do their shopping on Saturdays. He was convinced, from past experience, that matters would ▼cry soon Tight themselves. His firm had been one of tho strongest supporters of the, half-holiday as at present established, although tho general feeling among business people at tho time was that any half -holiday spelt rum to them. Those opinions had not been justified, and not a single trader could mention one case where a man had been ruined by the half-holiday. His Srm had a branch in Auckland, and it lud closed for thirty years on Satur-,

day, although Auckland had selected Wednesday as its holiday. Yet the branch had had no loss whatever, and it was on that ground that he supported Saturday as being the most suitable day in the week for the holiday. Moreover, if Saturday was selected by the large centres it would lead to a universal half-holiday at no distant date. The proprietor of a large boot shop in the city stated that «he considered Saturday the best day in the week for the half-holiday. He thought that encouragement should always be given to athletics, and the best way to give it was to have all the young men of the city playing their games on the same afternoon. There would be no loss of trade through closing _on Saturday night, because necessities would always bo bought. "If the people removed their boots on Saturday afternoon," he said, "I would certainly object, but with the day and a half available there will be more walking and more boots cold. Personally, 1 think we take, things far too seriously. There is no reason why we should not do all our trade in five days and have two days in which to enjoy ourselves. If Saturday is carried at the polls there will be a little dislocation of trade for the first week or so, but the people will eoon get used to it and enjoy it." . , The manager of a large retail jeweller's business said that he could not see why the Saturday half-holiday should not be a ■ success in Christchurch us it had been in other large towns. On Saturday night very littlo trado was done; a sale was a " fluke, and it was hardly worth while keeping open. He favoured Saturday also because it would mean that the week would have no break in it. Thursday afternoon was of no use to anyone as a holiday.

TO THE EBITOK. Sir.—lt has been urged on several occasions that the farmers are indifferent as to what day the shops' half-holi-day is observed on, but, as your correspondent •" North End" very properly points out, it would very greatly inconvenience farmers and their wives and families, who have for so many years been accustomed to come to town to do their shopping on Saturdays, if the half-holiday were observed on Saturday. "North End" makes another important point in drawing attention to the fact that under present conditions many of the Kaiapoi Woollen Company's mill employees travel from Kaiapoi to town on Saturdays—the only day on which they can do so—and undoubtedly thoy would greatly miss this end-of-th'e-week relaxation and pleasure iff instead of a brightly illuminated city, with shops open, they w-ere offered the opposite state of affairs, a state of affairs that will prevail if the majority of the municipal • electors are short-sighted enough to vote for the Saturday half-holiday.—l am, etc.. LET SLEEPING DOCS LIE.