REDCAR – Half day closing – Was the origin Redcar

Accreditation Cleveland Standard, 1935

ORIGIN OF HALF DAY CLOSING.
WAS IT AT REDCAR.
Chamber of Trade
and Enforcement
of Shop’s Act.

   The possibility that Redcar might be the source of origin of the half-day closing of shops was disclosed by Mr. C. G. Harrison secretary of the annual meeting of the Redcar Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber are investigating the possibility and several members are following “clues” which may lead to the establishing of the identity of a Mr. F. J. Harrison, said to live in Whitley Bay, who has stated that he was employed as a boy as an assistant in a draper’s shop and that he helped to moot a petition which resulted in shops in Redcar being closed for half a day. It was thought this gave the lead to other towns in the North.
The question of the enforcing of the half-day closing at Redcar was also discussed.
A member asked if pressure could not be brought to bear on Redcar Council to have the Shops Act enforced in Redcar. A number of traders, in the town were forced to keep open on the legitimate half-day owing to others doing so.
Mr. A. A. Sotheran, the president said the question had been before the Chamber previously, but up to the present there seemed to be no powers granted to anyone to enforce the closing of shops on the half-day.
It was the Council’s responsibility but nobody seemed to have been appointed to enforce the Shop |Hours’ Act.
Mr. Harrison said that the Act of 1934 would devolve on local authorities.
Councillor Fletcher we said the matter had been before the appropriate Committee of the Council on Tuesday and dealt with adequately. Certain persons would be recommended to be appointed to enforce the carrying out of the Act. He added that it would be strictly enforced.