THE WEEKLY HALF-HOLIDAY.

Southland Times, Issue 18619, 18 August 1919, Page 7

THE WEEKLY HALF-HOLIDAY.

To the Editor. Sir, —There is more meat in the letter of “A.E.W.” in your issue of to-day, in favour of the Saturday, than all the arguments against it. Were it made universal—if necessary by Act of Parliament—not only in New Zealand and throughout the world, or at any rate the British Empire, no one would lose, and all would gain.—l am, etc., WILLIAM HANDYSIDE. To the Editor. Sir, —Can you inform me how many ratepayers’ signatures are required for a petition for a poll to be taken regarding the half-holiday question? The Mayor and Councillor Doig expressed themselves very definitely at the Council meeting in favour of the Wednesday half-holiday. Mr Stead states that a change to Saturday would mean a dislocation in trade and would drive much of it to the country. One would have thought that Mr Stead would have been more generous to our country friends. They are surely entitled to a little Consideration from the town people, seeing that the latter are so dependent on the country generally for our prosperity. The Mayor stated that he thought that the break in the middle of the week was beneficial from a heolth point of view. The majority of people are unable to make full use of Wednesday afternoon, it merely being a break of a few hours. From a health point of view the Saturday half-holiday would surely be more beneficial as it would enable workers to have an extended rest from their labours. Cr. Doig, speaking as a retailer, is an out and out Wednesday advocate. If councillors are going to allow their business to weigh on this question it is about time the people had a say in the matter. Councillors are debarred from making profit out of the Council; such being the case it would seem that the Mayor and Councillor Doig are voting in their own interests without considering the wishes of the general public. One has only to spend a week-end at Dunedin, Christchurch, or Auckland, to make one realise the success of the Saturday half-holiday, and as we are striving to make our town as popular as the northern cities, we could well follow their example.—l am, etc., SATURDAY. August 16. The petition for a poll on the half-holi-day question must be signed by one-tenth of the number on the electoral roll (not ratepayers’ roll), and such poll can only be taken on the day of a poll for the election of councillors.—Ed. S.T.