THE KING'S BIRTHDAY.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 11593, 31 October 1901, Page 3

THE KING'S BIRTHDAY.

To the Editor of the " Timaru Herald."

Sir, —Re the holiday: I think it a pity that the tradesmen of Timaru should have chosen Friday. If Saturday or Monday had been chosen, it would have been as good as two days' holiday. Not only that, the fact of keeping, say, Monday as the holiday would have given them the opportunity of keeping open the following Thursday (show day), a very great convenience to country people who may have parcels to carry about with them till train time. Surely the tradesmen have forgotten that very often between 4 and 5.30 they have hitherto been kept busy. • I am, etc.; HOLIDAY.

To the Editor of the "Timaru Herald."

Sir, —As a pleasure seeker, whose hopes of satiating his all-absorbing appetite are ) at discount because of the confusion concerning the King's Birthday, I take the opportunity of vindictively ventilating my annoyance and worry at the petty differences which, are at present preventing unanimity upon the simple determining of a holiday. The Retailers' Institution have taken the initiative, and dogmatically determined on Friday. This is an age of twopenny individual enterprise, when the possibility of the addition of an extra penny to the exchequer of our wizard tradesman, completely sets at nought oui> Seddonian legislation, and drowns or mischievously temporises with every patriotic sentiment. I believe the primary object adopted at the inception of the above-mentioned worthy institution was to secure its members against the cruel depredations of heartless debtors, and assuredly it was a worthy and estimable one. But when the. members of that institution begin to tell us when we shall have a holidays- it is about time we glanced with suspicion upon them and their doings. Why! They will soon catalogue for us our hours of sleep and our daily rate of provisions. They tell us that Saturday is the business day, and that a substantial pecuniary loss would be entailed, by their closing on that day.. Perhaps it is because I am not a retailer that I fail to see the difference in this respect, which closing on Friday or on Saturday would make. If the shops are open till 9 o'clock on Friday evening, people can purchase their goods as well as on Saturday. Personally, I think the margin in pecuniary returns between the two days, according to the most sanguine calculations, would be very narrow—a penny or two. _ I intended going to a picnic on the King's Birthday, but as it is an open question whether we shall have a holiday or not, there seems little hope of satisfying my expectations. If those stonewall retailers could see their way to alter their decision I pledge my word to distribute equally amongst them the outlay the pici nic will entail.

I am, etc., PICNICKER.

Timaru, October 30th.