THE SATURDAY HALF HOLIDAY.

Southland Times, Issue 18618, 16 August 1919, Page 6

THE SATURDAY HALF HOLIDAY.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —With reference to our Town Council’s discussion of the Saturday half holiday question. Our worthy Mayor puts forward (hat old and whiskered argument of “dislocation of business.” Why does not our worthy Council, from Mayor to last-joined and youthful member, sec what other towns have done with the same question in other parts of New Zealand? Of course, I know I am asking rather much. Our very parochial Council does not bother to look over its very high backyard fence, and so it cannot possibly learn anything that goes on around it. Well, gentlemen,, allow me to draw your attention to the same discussion as it happened in Christchurch—a somewhat larger, if not more important, town. Wo had the same old mouldy arguments from the narrow-minded, non-efficient section of the business people of the city; on the other hand we had the progressive and intelligent business people who quite saw the plain fact that the business done on Saturday night did not pay the electric light bill. Also another argument that clinched things up north was the question of health as regards the employees. \ Now, Mr Mayor, I ask you: Would you rather have a holiday amountihg to one day and a half and be able to put in the-whole time at Riverton, Otatara or some other pleasure resort, or have half a day on Wednesday, which gives no one a chance of getting out, of town, plus your Sunday which I contend is spoiled by the late hour the assistants are working on the previous evening, forcing them to a late-rising on Sunday morning to recuperate. You hear folks complain down here in Invercargill of nowhere to go, no pleasure places, no resorts for short trips, etc. Well, can you wonder at that, with no time to get to them? Wake up! Invercargill, business men. and employees, more health more efficiency. Christchurch trebled the number of their sports dubs after Saturday closing, and made places like Brighton one of the greatest week-end resorts in New Zealand. Anyhow, you business Councillor men, if you are frightened that the farmer will patronise his local store to your loss in the event of the Saturday half holiday, what argument had you against the motion of Councillor Freddy for the Government to pass a universal Saturday Half Holiday Bill? Absolutely none at all; it’s just your pure cussedness sticking out. How is it the New Zealand Co-op. Association, Ltd, have always closed at 5.30 every night but Saturday, and on that day at 1 p.m.? This is a farmers’ concern, and they are paying j a bigger dividend every year. No late ! night and a Saturday half holiday. The | above reference is no exception, just an j example. Ask any business man in any town in New Zealand that has the Satur- | day holiday if he would go back to a mid- j week holiday, and their answers are all the same, emphatically, “No! our employees,, are more satisfied, we save money because I they are more efficient after a good rest j and change over the week-end, and more of them are able to join in the sports.” Invercargill, drop your parochialism, look around outside your own backyard and try and keep pace with the rest of New Zealand. In other words, “Wake up!”—

I am, etc., A.E.W. August 1.5.