SATURDAY POLL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23145, 17 September 1938, Page 14

SATURDAY POLL

WOEKING WEEK INTACT OLD PRECEDENT BROKEN DATE UNUSUALLY EARLY In filing this year's general election for Saturday, October 15, the Government has broken a precedent of many years' standing in favour of Wednesday or Thursday. Tho election day will also be the earliest on record in 51 years. Parliament will be formally dissolved on Sej)tember 20, and it is necessary to go back to tho year 1887 to find a dissolution date earlier than October. In that year, Parliament was dissolved on July 15. Since the 1911 election, the earliest polling day has been November 4, in 1925. Saturday has been election day for both Houses of tho Australian I'ederal Parliament on the last seven occasions and probably many more. In New Zealand, however, five of the last seven Parliamentary elections havo been held on Wednesday. The remaining two, in 1914. and 1922, were on Thuisday. Loss to Hotels The change to Saturday has the important advantage that for most people in trade and industry the normal working week will not bo interfered with. However, the closing of hotels at noon will lose them half the busiest day of the week. The Electoral Act, 1927, provides that election day shall be a public holiday after mid-day. Factories are not required to close during any working hours, but employees must he allowed a reasonable opportunity of voting, the time off not to exceed ono hour and no deduction to be made from wages. If election day is not held on the normal weekly half-holiday for shops and offices, the latter may remain open on the half-holiday that week. After Wednesday or Thursday polls, however, where the Saturday half-holiday obtained, most businesses did not avail themselves of tho right to keep open morning and afternoon, 'lhey had no expectation of attracting many customers after mid-day on Saturday, and the result in any event would have been the loss of half a day's trade. Retailers' Approval Auckland retailers who were asked their opinion of Saturday polling yesterday said that they were strongly in favour of it, because it would cause the least possible disturbance to business. They agreed, that not much trade was done in the forenoon of election day when jt fell earlier in the week, and that possibly the polls would have less effect on Saturday .morning shopping, since for great numbers of people the day was a whole holiday in any case. In country towns, where Saturday is still the principal shopping day of the week and the half-holiday is taken earlier, the change may be inconvenient. However, in recent yeais a number of towns have altered their half-holidays to Saturday, in the interests of outdoor sport. Many Employees Released As regards factories, the change to Saturday means that thousands of employees will have a whole holiday in which to' record their vote, instead of brief time off on a normal working day in mid-week. The great majority of employees in other occupations, except shop assistants, will vote on a whole holiday instead of a half-holiday. Hiis will release large numbers of people for work on election day, either as deputyreturning officers and poll clerks, or as voluntary helpers on behalf of parties and candidates. In Britain, the week-end seems to be avoided for general election purposes. Of the last fouf elections, one was on 'Tuesday, one was on Wednesday, and two were on Thursday. ATTITUDE CONDEMNED USE OF BROADCASTING NATIONAL LEADER'S VIEW EARLY POLICY ANNOUNCEMENT [[BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Friday "An act of communist dictatorship" was the description applied by tho Leader of tin? Opposition, the Hon. A. Hamilton, this evening to the announcement by the Prime Minister, .Mr. Savage, in the House of Representatives to-day that ho would reserve the right to broadcast at any time during the general election campaign. Mr. Hamilton was speaking at the reception held at the National Club in honour of National candidates for Parliament.

The Prime Minister had expressed himself in a manner that was almost repulsive, Mr. Hamilton declared. Tho Opposition were prevented by Standing Orders, as well as by a desire to preserve a close-of-session atmosphere, from giving expression of their feelings. "We are working out our policy and you will very likely see it in the press beforo tho Prime Minister announces his," Mr. Hamilton added. "I notice ho has Thursday for his broadcast. He is giving me Friday night, when everybody is out shopping. "We fire geing to fight an election that may determine the destiny of this country for many years to come." PROTEST ?ROM CHURCHES OBJECTION TO PAY CHOSEN [bt telegraph—rnEss association] PALMERSTON NORTH, Friday' Tho Palmcrston North Ministers' Association, on learning the decision of tho Government to hold tho election on a Saturday, sent a telegram to the Prime Minister, tho lit. Hon. M; J. Savage, strongly protecting against such action in view of tho following day being Sunday.