SATURDAY CLOSING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26027, 15 December 1945, Page 4

SATURDAY CLOSING

PROTEST BY FARMERS “AMAZED AT DECISION ” (Special) OAMARU, Dec. 14. At to-day’s meeting of North Otago Federated Farmers a resolution was carried protesting against the Introduction of Saturday closing in Oamaru. The subject was introduced by Mr W. G. Grant, who said he was sure the farmers of North Otago were amazed to read the decisioh of the Oamaru retailers to close on Saturday mornings. It was indeed regrettable, he added, that such a decision should be arrived at without the slightest consideration for the convenience of the public both in town and country. Such an attitude, if persisted in, could have no other effect than to create strained relations between certain business people and their customers, and, continued the speaker, he trusted that on mature consideration, ' those concerned would recognise the necessity for maintaining the harmonious feeling which had existed between the citizens both in town and country for so many years. As the banks and stock and station agents were remaining open on Saturday mornings, Mr Grant said, the confusion and inconvenience which would result if the retail establishments remained closed could easily be imagined. The position was made worse by the petrol restrictions. The inspector of awards had already made it clear that for the next six months at least the retailers could spread the 40hour working week over five and a-half days. * The position of a farmer, who, busy with shearing and harvesting, suffering a breakdown to machinery on Friday afternoon and was unable to get replacements or repairs executed until- Monday, would be most unfortunate, Mr Grant said, and they should appeal to the business people of Oamaru to reconsider their decision ' pntil at least an instruction to close was received. The retailers should not anticipate the findings of the Arbitration Court. Mr M. W. Austin, seconding the motion, •aid that the farmers were not being considered. ■ * Mr F. P. Rutherford said it seemed to him that the matter had gone far enough. Apparently the retailers’ decision was not unanimous, as some grocers who operated on a Dominion-wide basis had advertised that they would keep their premises open on Saturday mornings. The 40-hour week would " knock ” the farmers. The president (Mr J. Kingan) said that Mr B. B. Walton had endeavoured to place the farmers' position before the retailers, but had met with little success. Mr W. Malcolm said that farmers should be appreciative of those business men who had expressed the farmers’ point of view. The resolution was then carried.