TOO MANY BANK HOLIDAYS

Waipa Post, Volume 38, Issue 2271, 21 February 1929, Page 4

TOO MANY BANK HOLIDAYS

i THE Christchurch Star is not alone in its contention that there are too many bank holidays, as the following comment will find support in many quarters: — There are more bank holidays in the year, falling singly and in twos and three, than the average business man gets for his annual holidays. Counting days like St. George's Day, Dominion Day, Anzac Day, St. Patrick's Day, King's Birthday, Anniversary Day, Show. Day, Easter, and the Christmas and New Year holidays, there are 17 days on which the banks do no business, and in some years there are more. This has been a grievance with business people for many years, and the grievance has been accentuated recently by the fact that the banks came to an ill-advised decision to close at the New Year on a day when business premises were open, and to open on a day when business premises were closed. The Canterbury Chamber of Commerce has been protesting for years against the unduly large number of bank holidays, and its protest should be supported. Banking hours at the best, are not very convenient, especially for people who have cash to deposit. This difficulty has been got over in older countries by a method of depositing similar to that used by tramway conductors with their cash when they are coming off duty late at night. We are rather surprised that the banks have not met the commercial people in the matter long ago, because their interests are so interdepentent that a more liberal policy is clearly called for.