Saturday Half-Holiday

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12750, 22 April 1909, Page 7

Saturday Half-Holiday

TO Tim «T>ITOB.

Sir, — The contribution supplied by youi correspondent in your i6su© of Tuesiiy last and* signed "Thursday," is to my mind a very lame attempt to bolster u> the decaying system of a late- Saturday night for shopkeepers. Last year the town was canvassed amongst the business peo pie of both sides, viz., Thursday versus Saturday, for the half-holiday, with the result that a large majority of them wi>r t in favour of Saturday, but nnfort<u..itely there was no law to bring their ■wiehesinto force, as we now have by recer J . legislation. Your correspondent says: "Thri it seems Very unfair that business tu.d trade should suffer because a portion oi the community place pleasure in front oi business. This is not the case. Those broadminded storekeepers who support Saturday for the holiday are men whe conduct their business on strictly Business lines, and don't talk shop or little Bethels after the shutters are up. Your corres pondent^ further says that Saturday har been tried in several towns (but* avoide naming them). Amongst them he quotes Wanganui as one. Now, sir, I venture tc say that in reality Saturday half-holiday has never had a fair trial anywhere, be cause there was no compulsion to observe the wishes of the burgesses as we enioj for the first time thie year. It is true that Saturday was tried in. Wanganu' many years ago, but to the shame of a few who had signed to observe Saturday broke their pledge one after another till one half the shops were open and the other half closed. Of course the whole thing collapsed. The drawback in Nelson ■ that Saturday was proclaimed for the city only, while the small fry at the Port kept their shops open. This formed sufficient excuse for some knock-kneed ones in the city falling from grace, i.e., opening their shops, hence the collapse. Thie possibility does not exist now, as under the new Statute *'t's only for the burgesses to vote for Saturday and the combined districts nave to close accordingly. Your correspondent "Thursday," attaches undue value to Saturday night's trade; he forgets that owing to the advanced time? we are living in, there ie but little shopring to do, as most o{ the necessaries of life are brought to your door. The butcher, baker, grocer, milkman, and^the Chinaman all come. The principal itemtc go to shop for is drapery, and I would ask what prudent lady would purchasf dra.r»ery by gaslight, which is always deceiving as to colours, and other imper-f<-">tioiTS (if any) are not so easily discovered. If the ladies will help the assistant' by purchasing in daylight, not only would Saturday be an accomplished fact, bul tli at emblem of barbarism, a late night will be abolished. The verdict is in thf hands of the burgesses and in the interest? n f humanity I ask the ladies especially tc help the assistants by votinar for Satur day. If you could only realise the evilr arising from the loiwr standing about .especially to young girls, I am sure my pier would not be in vain. — T am, etc., SHOP ASSISTANT. Wanganui, April 21, 1909.