HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION

Northland Age, Volume 1, Issue 52, 11 December 1929, Page 7

HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION

OPPOSITION TO SATURDAY. AMENDMENT TO ACT SUGGESTED. farmers’ union’s opinion. Consensus of opinion being in favour of a week-day half-holi-day, the Kaitaia branch of the Farmers’ Union, at its meeting last Thursday night, passed resolutions opposing the Saturday half-day and advocating an amendment to the Act empowering shopkeepers to give their staffs a half-holiday and keep their premises open for business themselves"As far as the farmers are concerned, I think that Saturday is the wrong day for closing,” said Mr. G. Puckey when the matter was introduced. Mr. D. H. Lewis concurred. People came in to see football and other sports, he pointed cut, and took the opportunity to do their shopping. Agreeing with the view Saturday was not the l ight day tor the half-holiday from the settlers point of view, Mr. T. S. Houston advocated an amendment to the Act in the direction of allowing the principals of business houses to do business on the half-holi-day. Quite a number of the principals, he considered, would be quite willing to keep their shops open and do business, and he thought it would be a benefit to the district and to the storekeepers, from all points of view, to have the shops open on Saturday. Mr. E. C. Matthews expressed the opinion that the Government should revert to the Act first introduced under which employees could take a half-holiday while the employers kept their premises open. He contended that that Act would still have been in force but for the big merchants. The proposal to amend the Act was supported by Mr. E. Parker, who considered such a move would just about solve the problem. Further discussion resulted in the passing of a motion by Mr. G. Puckey, seconded by Mr. J. Stewart, “That this branch favours the opening of shops all day on Saturday, and urges the town board to adopt a day other than Saturday for the half-day holiday.” On the motion of Mr. E. C. Matthews, seconded by Mr. E. Parker, a further resolution was passed favouring an amendment to the Act which would give a half-holiday to the employees and enable the business places to be kept open by the principals.