ELECTION DAY.

Thames Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 20427, 1 October 1938, Page 2

ELECTION DAY.

PRECEDENT BROKEN.

PERIOD OF FIFTY YEARS. POSITION OP HOTELKEEPEKS. [By Telegraph.—Press Association]. AUCKLAND, Oct. 1. In fixing this year's general election for Saturday, October 15, the Government has broken a precedent of many years' standing in favour of Wednesday or Thursday. The election day will also be the earliest on record for 51 years. Parliament was formally dissolved on September 20, and it is necessary to go back to the year 1887 to find a dissolution date earlier than October.

In that year Parliament was dissolved on July 15. Since the 1911 election the earliest polling day has been November 4, in 1925. Saturday has been election day for both Houses of the Australian Federal Parliament on the last seven occasions, and probably many more.

In New Zealand, however, five of the last seven Parliamentary eleefions have been held on Wednesday. The remaining two, in 1914 and 1922, were on a Thursday. The. change to Saturday has the important advantage that for most people in trade and industry the normal working week will not be interfered with. However, the closing of hotels at noon will lose them half the busiest day of the week.

I HOLIDAY PROVISIONS.

t' ' ' WHAT THE ACT PROVIDES. The Electoral Act provides that election day shall be deemed to be a public holiday after midday. As the election this year will be on a Saturday, cities and towns which normally have their half-day on that day will not be affected, but those which hold it on some other day in the week will be re-

quired to observe a half-day on the

Saturday.

The Act also provides that it shall not be lawful to sell intoxciating liquor on licensed premises between the hours of 12 noon and 7 p.m. on polling day.

There will be less interruption of business on this occasion than usual, for the Electoral Act provides that

where the polling day is other than that appointed as the weekly halfholiday under the Shops and Offices Act, the provisions of that Act relating to the week half-holiday shall be deemed to refer to polling day. The Electoral Act does not require factories to close during working hours on polling day, but that they shall afford each employee a reasonable opportunity of recording his vote. As the election takes place on a Saturday, there will thus be little interference with industry on this occasion.