THE HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12508, 8 April 1909, Page 4

THE HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION.

(To'the Editor of."The Colonist.") : Sir,—-The question .of the weekly haU-holiday, oil whiolia pbll is shortly to be taken, is one" of far greater importance to the city than many patters that seem for the moment to bulk ', mere largely. Is it the desire of the.; people of Nelson that business shall' give place to pleasure P' This is the very heart and kernel.of the matter. "While it has yet'to be shown: that sport gained to any considerable extent .during the. year .when, Saturday was'_;..observed., "as. .the half holiday, it is beyond till "question: that-.- 5'- buginess'- ' suffered largely during that period. The testimony of 80 per. eentof the shopkeepers is a things that nannot jbe ligtly set r.side, and the- observation. oKthe general -public strongly .supports jthat testimony. Custoiriers from thb country who frequently visited the city on Saturday night found the Friday night inconvenient,:"arid stayei away. Residents in the dty, for. the same reason, neglected' to : make th« thousand and one small purchases v .wliich had formerly gone to swell the ■volume of.ihe Saturday trade. The. happy crowd, the ploasant meetings in: 'the street of friends and . acquaintances, the interchange of jest arid ■ greeting were for the most part missing ton the Friday riight. Tho chortago of cash through the loss of the late Saturday" went 'to ln-^ crease the : weight of the prevailing . commercial • depression. r Jhe expenditure; of public money dt A little to relieve the situation.' All things pointed to the. failure ,of;the new arrangement, and the City Council reversed its former vote, and : re.•stored the mid-week half-holiday. Now: that a poll is to be: taken on the quesjtiqn, it becomes more than ever'neces^- ; sary that that the ■'electors 'should■weigh the matter. Should it. prove to be the will of the people that business give, place to pleasure, that .vef-. diet will have the force of the law, and ,fortwo-years"Nelson must abide by the decision however fatal it may he to the progress and prosperity of the town. The reason why the majority of the shopkeepers desire the Wednesday half-holiday may or may not prov.o convincing,- but at any rate there is no.fear .or hesitation about putting them before ' the public. Why are 'the views or the Saturday half, holiday supporters kept a close secret ? Some" days ago, through' your columns, I issued a friendly challenge to any number rf Saturday supporters .to ope.nly-debate 'the; matter/ in "order that; the public might have the benefit of all the argu-, ,nients to be advanced on either side. That challenge has not yet besn taken up^- Are we to conclude that the arguments in favour of Saturday will not stand the light of public discus■sion? ; . .f '■..'■..• . ■ . . '.■■*■■:■ - Yours, etc./ : _ DAVID McKEE WRIGHT. -Sec. Wed. Half-Holiday Defence.