WEDNESDAY HALF-HOLIDAY OR SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY?

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 69, 23 April 1929, Page 8

WEDNESDAY HALF-HOLIDAY OR SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY?

R. A. MATCHELL.

To the Editor. Sir, — AYithout the slightest shadow of doubt Saturday half lioliday is the best for Napier. Every tliinking man knows that the most progressive idea is a universal Saturday lialf-lioliday. Continuitv of business is the successful force for a good week's trade. A successful start makes a suceessful finish, but if you dislocate your Aveek's business by holding a halfhoiiday in the middle, you must make another start on the following day, and that is where you lose ground. In the Old Country all bank liolidays must be held on a Alonday (by law), SO' that the week's trend of trade shall not be interrupted. Tli© older countries of the world have decided this faetor. The AYednesday Half-Holidny League " eamonflage the true position of supporters, by giving some 50 names that will not be affected whe- , ther AYednesday or Saturday is decided upon. This is misleading to the public. On Saturday, December 29 last, the Napier retailers decided to keep open nntil 6 p.m., closing on the previous Alonday at 12.30, the alteration of hours ended in not doing an ordinary Saturday morniug's business — is not this a significant fact.that it is umvise to chop and change your shopping hours? The AYednesday Half-Holiday League say that Hastings is taking all the trade, this is a complete fallacy, there _is by far more business done in Napier — in any trade you like to take — than there 'is in Hastings. Although the pamphlet mis-xiamed "Progressive Napier," of April 12, gave a list showing the preponderance of towns in the North Island closing cther than on Saturday, it must he mentioned that this list is in no ways complete, as whether by acc-ident or design a number of towns closing on Saturdays were omitted. Hoivever, the figures quoted show that approximately a population of 294,000 eujoy Saturday half holiday, as against just over S9.000 closing on days other than Saturday, while no mention K made of towns which, sinco 1917, have adopted Saturday half-holiday. AYednesday is oue of the very best- days in Napier, and ifc is cxceedingly petty to grudgo Hastings doing well on a Saturday — good hick to them — lct both. places do well — you cannot have it both Avays. If you try to cut into Hastings trade 011 Saturday. joli must forego the good trade of AYednesday, moreover, vou dislocate the whole week's trend of trade. Tho successful business man is tlie one tliat builds up a Aveek's business, not any one particular day's trade. Lefc well alone, don't worry about your neiglibour, put your own house in order, push on with reclamation, bvighten your own town, remove all decrepid buildings, renicve the prison and in place build AArinter gardens and a Iiydro, running an electrieal lift railway from tlie Afarine Parade. Create a spirit cf co-operation with Hastings rather than selfish opposition. If that feeling is l'ostered. both will benofit. Another point, it must he remembered that the half holiday was originated for employees, and Saturday is part and parcel of a week's end rcst. It is to be sincerelv hopcd tliat the general public will. on Mav 1st, vote for the present Saturday half holiday. — T am,etc., **

Napier, April 23, 1929. Inserted bv Arrangement.