TOO MANY STREET DAYS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19623, 18 October 1933, Page 7

TOO MANY STREET DAYS

TIMARU EMPLOYERS CONCERNED REQUEST TO EOROUGH COUNCIL. Concern at the growing number of street days being held in Timaru and the detrimental effect these were having on business in the main street, was expressed by several speakers at a meeting of the executive of the South Canterbury Employers’ Association, when the following motion was passed for submission to the Timaru Borough Council: “That the attention of the Borough Council be drawn to the frequent street collections in Timaru, which are detrimental to shopkeepers, and this Association suggests that not more than five street collections be allowed a year; further, that such collections be on any other day than Friday.” Support for the Association's action was forthcoming from several retailors who were seen by a representative of "The Timaru Herald” yesterday. Detrimental To Business. "It seems to me that the whole of Stafford Street is opposed to these collections,” said one retailer, who considered that it was fully time the Council laid down a definite policy in regard to them. His firm's experience had been that many country customers. and even townspeople, now did their shopping on days other than Friday, and while to some degree the shopkeeper did not sufler as a result of the change, he felt sure that generally speaking—and he had returns to prove it—street collection z were detrimental to business. The Wellington City Council, he understood, had decided to allow street days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and he hoped that the Timaru Borough Council, if it did not cut out the collections altogether, would follow Wellington’s example. Severe Taxation. The opinion that retailers, who had general taxation and heavy rates to meet, were suffering enough at the present without the loss of business through street days, was expressed by another shopkeeper. “These street days are impoverishing the main street so much that the Council, if it allows them to continue, will stand a good chance of losing its rates,” he said. Friday should be the retailers' busy day, but in his experience it was often the worst period of the week when a street day was apparent. He had every sympathy for the good causes which necessitated public appeals, but he thought the authorities behind the various organisations should, in the interests of Timaru, devise some other means of reaching the public. Many persons well able to give stayed at home on Fridays, and not only did the shopkeeper lose possible trade, but the street collectors also were disappointed. “In my opinion the days should be abolished altogether,” he added. Several other retailers interviewed expressed similar views.