SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY.

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXII, Issue 45, 22 April 1927, Page 3

SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY.

(To the Editor) Sir, —It is unfortunate that this biennial controversy, which is claiming so much of the energy of our community at the present time, so much frantic effort on the part of the Wednesday advocates to re-establish a lost cause, should take place at a time like the present. The whole country is experiencing perhaps the worst post-war slump that it has had yet to face, and we should be using our energies to recover from it, instead of in such a wasteful manner as we arc in this controversy. The shameful waste of money by our opponents (expense which is eventually passed on to the public) calls for general condemnation.

The Saturday people have been content to be reasonable, feeling confident that the sound judgment of the electors will not be swayed by the empty and unconvincing assertions displayed by our Wednesday friends. The latter have, however, resorted to one or two “mis-statements of facts,” unintentional, no doubt, in thcii* effort to disprove the sound arguments in our leaflet, “Reasons why you should vote for Saturday Half -holiday. ” Some of the answers in their lt counter-attack” are too empty to waste your readers’ time by answering, but we think one or two should at least be contradicted. We challenge them to prove that twothirds of the business people are Wednesday advocates. There are between 90 and .100 businesses of all kinds in this town, and if they can prove that more than 40 arc Wednesday advocates, wc have been very much misled by those same business people, which wc do not think is likely. Who will be insane enough to believe that "many prefer the mid-week break from business?” The electors will laugh at this “mis-statement.”

They claim that Waipukurau has progressed "in spite of Saturday closing.” What marvellous endurance and fortitude it must have! Napier, Auckland, and Wellington, and many other places must also progress in the •same manner, or perhaps it is just as logical to claim that Hastings has made its progress despite Wednesday closing. Wc agree that some must work while others play, but why increase the injustice by Wednesday closing? Why not reduce it io a minimum and close on Saturday? The majority of businesses of Waipukurau arc retail, no doubt, but only a few of them, arc Wednesdayitcs, and they are mostly sellers of luxuries and trash not necessary to progress and prosperity. Their sales depend on what can bo afforded out of the workers’ pay after the necessities are paid for. Naturally, they wish to have the Saturday night opportunity to have the first call on the week’s wages, but that only increases their prosperity at the expense of those who sell necessities.

Yes, Waipukurau has already some who keep open on Saturdays; but eliminate restaurants, whose business it is to supply meals which are naturally needed every day of the week, butchers and bakers and fruiterers, whose goods arc perishable (and it is quite reasonable that they should curtail their closing as much as possible), barbers who can cut your hair only when you arc not at work, and you have the lot —not 10 per cent .of Waipukurau business people who have a really good reason to open on Saturday, and consequently the Statute leaves it optional to them. Regards sport: Saturday’s claims for them arc so forceful that to rciteratae them is wasting space. We arc content to leave it to the electors’ judgment. Each election in Waipukurau since the Saturday closing was introduced has produced bigger majorities in its favour. We hope and believe this one will be no exception, and that being- so, we trust our opponents will not again force the community to face the expense of another election, but that we will all unitedly work together for that greater prosperity so much desired, and have our rest together on Saturday Half-holiday.— We arc, etc., SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY COMMITTEE.