WEEKLY HALF-DAY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19139, 7 October 1936, Page 12

WEEKLY HALF-DAY

SHOPKEEPERS’ VIEW TREND TO SATURDAY The Government's new industrial legislation having freed many people from .Saturday work, there hits been a tendency in a similar direction among business men in various centres where Saturday lias been observed as the late night for the week. In a number of towns recently, the weekly halfday has been altered to Saturday. .In other cases, however, shopkeepers have held llmt established custom, tho convenience of surrounding farmers, market days, or similar considerations, outweigh any advantage from transferring the half-day to Saturday, and it remains the lute night, while in some instances no unanimity has boon reached. Such a position lias arisen at- Hastings, where some of the shopkeepers are applying to the Labour .Department for permits 1o observe the halfholiday on Saturday and the remainder are maintaining Thursday ns the short day, so that there will be two late nights and two half-holidays until some agreement is reached. VARIATION'S IN' CENTRES The chief cities, of course, have long observed Saturday as the halfday and most of the boroughs and towns near them, follow suit, In some cases exemptions are obtained from the Labour Department, even in the ■cities. The majority of the shops at Kohimarama and St. JTeliers, Auckland, for instance, still observe Wednesday as the half-day. A shopkeeper explained that most of the businesses considered that as the districts were still to some extent week-end resorts better trade would be done by staying open all day on Saturday. A move was made not. long ago to have the half-day changed to Saturday, but a large number of shopkeepers were

There has been a general tendency to change .over to Saturday in the chief centres in the Wnirarapa and Taranaki. Palmerston North, Hawera, Feilding, Marlon and Danncvirke are some of the districts that have recently made this move. A request was made to Parliament that; a uniform half-day should be fixed for all the Taranaki towns, but it was stated that there would be no chance of legislation being introduced, this season.

Meetings of business men in the Ray of Plenty district have decided to retain the holiday in the middle of the week and shops still close on Wednesday afternoons at; Tauranga, Whakatauc and Opntiki. There is marked variation in North Auckland. Whnngaroi changed over to Saturday halt days last year and Russell observes the same day. The short day is on Wednesday at Kaikohe and Thursday at Kaitnia.