EARLIER CLOSING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1507, 11 December 1918, Page 4

EARLIER CLOSING.

To the Editor of THE SUN. Sir, —Without commenting on the generous letter of “Employer,” and with hopes that his suggestion may be carried through, I would like to make a further suggestion, i.e., that all shops close at 5 p.m. or 5.30 pan., except Friday, and on that night remain open until 9 o’clock, as usual. To the general public the half-hour between 5..'50 p.m. anil G pan. may seem a little thing, but to the one behind the counter it is quite another matter —is. in fact, the hardest part of the day. To the ones at home it makes a vast difference —all the difference between a real evening and just a snatch at one. It gives an added halfhour of daylight for work in the garden (so necessary in these hard times), Land for recreation, and, as “Employer” says, the strain of the past years has | been, indeed, great, and taken its toll in many ways. As regards the Friday late night, I think to do away with it would take away a very innocent pleasure, especially to the hard-worked mothers and those whose hours of work keep them j indoors most days, and I am sure employees released at 5 p.m. or 5.30 p.m. each day would not begrudge a “late night” once a week. —I am. etc.. EMPLOYEE.