THE HALE-HOLIDAY

Te Aroha News, Volume XXXIX, Issue 6335, 1 May 1923, Page 4

THE HALE-HOLIDAY

CHILDREN'S OPINIONS

THE PRIZE ESSAY

The results of the judging essays on ‘ c The Advantages of the Te Aroha shops being open all day on Saturdays/’ were as follows : First, Elizabeth Wall (Ngarua school) ; second, Jean Davenport (Ngarua school) ; and third Freda Robertson (Te Aroha West School). Mr E. H. Edmonds was the judge, and his task was a difficult one. We publish below the first-prize essay “ For about the last two years Saturday has been observed as a public half-holiday in Te Aroha thus causing much inconvenience to the country people who still sincerely hope the Te Aroha shops will once again open on Saturday afternoons. The many vehicles’containing parents and their families, who used to pass along the road to Te Aroha so regularly about 10.30 every Saturday morning have gradually become fewer. Most of the parents saying, “we cannot finish our work before 10 o’clock, so what is the use of driving all the way to town for an hour ? Why we have no time,„to do any business or shoping when we do get there-” Farmers dislike stopping work during the week to visit town unless it is very necessary, and have for years made a practice of taking any implement that has been broken during the week to town with them on Saturday afternoon, leaving it there to be repaired during the week and calling for it on the following Saturday, but they now find it more convenient to .post any small parts of their machine away to be mended, and moire often than not the town chosen is Hamilton as it is as convenient by post as the nearer town, thus the business people of Te Arona lose much trade. The ladies, too, find it very difficult eo visit town during the week or Saturday morning for they have been used to taking some of their children with them to help carry parcels, or leaving some of the children home to take care of the house- What a treat it will be foif the children to spend Saturday after' noons in town once again, for what a pleasure it used to be running round town and drawing mother’s attention to all the attractive articles in [the windows many of which she would not have noticed or bought if it had not have been for the children. At present many children have'to Be absented from school to visit the den tist or dressmaker thus causing much inconvenience to the teachers. Now owing to the difficulty of visiting town at a suitable time, people who used to obtain their weekly supply locally send to some big firm in Auckland (or some such town) with the result that much money leavc r the district and much dissatisfacf! is caused by the people not being to personally inspect the goods. For many years many of the working people have been in the habit of spending Saturday afternoon in town and paying a visit to the pictures in the evening as a pleasure after the week’s work ; but now they do not care to spend Friday night in town for they have to rise .early for work next morning. Besides, Friday is the night chosen by most country places to hold their dances. Another reason why Te Aroha shops should remain open all day Saturday is the fact that Te Aroha unlike the surrounding towns is a tourist resort and an ideal place to spend a week-end, and by having their shops closed Saturday afternoons the owners lose much trade they would otherwise done with the tourists. Although the present, half holiday gives the shop assistants from 12.30 Saturday until Monday morning oft work it must be remembered that Te Aroha —having no industry of its own — depends upon the surrounding courr " try* districts for most of the trade which will continue to decrease with Saturday half-holiday owing to the difficulty farmers have in visiting town on week days. [We will publish the second and third prize essays in subsequent issues.]