ELECTION DAY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 304, 21 November 1935, Page 5

ELECTION DAY

CLOSING OF SHOPS. MASTERTON DISSATISFIED. Per Press Association. MASTERTON, Nov. 20. Masterton shopkeepers, or a good many, of them, .thoroughly agree with those of Wanganui that the transfer of the weekly half-holiday to election day is “unfair, unjust, absurd, and farcical.” A number of Masterton shopkeepers —members of the Drapers’ Association and others —havo decided to close on election day only from noon to 2 p.m., and to remain open from 2 to 5.30 p.m. The usual Saturday halfholiday will he observed in that week. Many people will he in town on election day and local shopkeepers con-

sider that to close tlio shop is both absurd and unnecessary. With the shops closed from noon to 2 p.m. all shop employees will have ample time in which to "vote. It is asked why shops alone (apart from hotels) should bo singled out and required to close on election day, when factories, banks stock and station agents, professional and other offices are not required to close. One queer anomaly mentioned is that tearooms* mnv be kent ooen on the afternoon of election day, but iiu (JJiC mud l UV ill i •••..it.

lieing permitted to keep open on Saturday until 5.30 is no compensation to shopkeepers for the Wednesday half-day. it is pointed ou. ...... .. . ~.,p.:. .mice lias aiiown that little business is done on Saturday afternoon by shops which normally close on that day. On the Saturday af-

ternoon following on the last election business was so poor that several shops closed considerably before 5.30 p.m.