FRUIT SHOP HOURS

EMPLOYEES DIFFER WEEK-END CLOSING TIMES Strongly differing views on the hours of closing for retail fruit and vegetable shops were revealed during proceedings for a new award in the Arbitration Court yesterday. The dispute concerned the Auckland and 25-mile radius Retail Fruiterers and Greengrocers' Award, Mr C. C.' King appearing for the employers and Miss Purcell for the union. The agreement submitted by them provides for nine o'clock closing on Friday night" and six o'clock on Saturday night instead of the present 9.30 on both nights. It also provides for closing on seven annual holidays instead of on three such days at present. Mr W. F. Anderson appeared 0 n behalf of 53 employers who objected to the recommendations of the assessors. He said he had had only one day to look into the matter and he was satisfied that if he had had longer time the number of objectors would have been widely increased. He understood the Housewives' Association was interesting itself in the matter. Shorter Hours Agreed Oil Miss Purcell said they had met representatives of the Fruiterers' Association, and she was rather surprised to hear there were any objections at all. She outlined the negotiations that led up to the agreement, and risked the Court to make it into an award. The closing hours asked for were agreed to in conciliation. Mr King said the meeting of the Auckland Fruit and Vegetable Retailers' Association to discuss, the Dewaward had been widely advertised and circulars sent out. The association had about 300 members and included KuroI peans, Chinese and Indians. The main discussion at the meeting, at which there was a very large attendance, centred round one o'clock closing on Saturday. Mr Anderson said that if the meeting of fruiterers had decided on six o'clock closing ho was sure that was by way of compromise, .because the? believed that if they did not accept six o'clock closing they would have one o'clock closing imposed on them. He j thought the principal employers were included among the 53 he represented. Present Hours Supported The objecting employers said the closing hour on Friday and Saturday should be 9.30 p.m. as at present Mr Anderson continued, and that the shops should be required to close on three annual holidays only. He submitted that what were called terms of settlement did not represent an agreement of the parties and should he disregarded by the Court. The clause increasing the holidavs to seven was ultra vires the Court. Having regard to the convenience of the public, Mr Anderson submitted, the Court should not require six o'clock closing on Saturdays or the observance of seven annual holidays. He admitted that more interest should have been taken by the employers at an earlier sta<:e of thq proceedings. Miss Purcell submitted that the ob- | jectors had been given ample oppor-. ! tunity to state their objections earlier. Housewives' Viewpoint ! Mr King said they believed the shorter hours were in the best interests of the employers themselves. Ihe assessors had stricth carried out their instructions. Some of the -objectors now said they had been misled.' Deva Kanii. fruiterer, said he was satisfied the Indians-understood the proposals. and all agreed to the six o'clock Saturday closing. There were 22 Indian frtiitshops. On behalf of the-Auckland .branch of the New Zealand Housewives' Assoeia- ' tion. Miss C. Pilkincton said the association felt that fruit was essential for the health of the people. Frnitshops were doing an essential service and ' there should be no obstacle between them and the consumer. The later hours | were necessary to enable working mem- ' hers of the family to bring home fruit ordered during the day. [ The Court adjourned the case to : enable Mr King to examine.the list of objectors. PRINTING TRADES 1 ! FEMALE WORKERS' WAGES 1 Argument in the Auckland and ten- * mile radius printing trades female employees' industrial dispute was heard by ' the Arbitration Court yesterday. The I employers agreed to a 6s increase, ro--1 trospeclive to April 1, for adult women, " but the union asked that the increase 5 be 10s weekly. I Mr J. M. Hardcastle, for the employers, objected to the union's proposal to fix the rates of wages in the Auckland district at a higher level than in the rest of New Zealand and asked ' that the Auckland rates be made the same as elsewhere. After Mr B. Martin had supported the union's claims, the Court reserved ® its decision. 3 AWARDS AMENDED 'i t HIGHER RATES FIXED Further orders amending industrial awards and providing for wage increases 0 have been issued by the Arbitration 1 Court. 3 The minimum weekly wage rates for a assistant stevedores, foremen and time- # keepers are increased by 12s lOd and S the overtime rate is increased to 4s Id e an hour. : 1 The minimum hourly rates. are inY creased by 3ld. making the wages 3s ■ osd an hour, plus the two bonuses >- under previous Court orders, under the s Boilermakers' Award. The meal money is increased to 2s. k An increase of 3\d an hour is granted to all limeworkors under the New Zealand Limeworkers' Award. II CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF The Chief of the Naval Staff, Commodore G. H. Faulkner, D.S.C., R.N., left for Wellington last night after paying his first official visit of inspection e to the Auckland naval district. During 1 the week-end he visited the training 0 establishment Tamaki at Motuihi Island, and the dockyard and depot at 'j Devon port. s HARD OF HEARING 1 At, the annual meetin? of the New Zf#* - land League for the Hard of Hearnisr. the following officers were elected: —President, l)i J. Hardie .Neil; board of governors. Misses B Carnachan and M. E. Shutes. and Messr* A. E. Ford, E. I. A. Macdonald and I. A. Garry; honorary organising secretary. Mr* J. Id. Duulou; honorary assistant •seeretarj. Miss M. B. Neal; honarary treasurer. Mr L. X. Ross; honorary solicitor, Mr E. J. £ ren ' - dergast; honorary auditor, Mr S. O. (_P R "'* j hers; honorary acoustical engineer, Mr T. K. Clarkson; honorary electrical engineer. Mr il. ' 0. Jones. 1 PERSONAL ITEMS £ Mr Justice Callan and Mr Justice ' Cornish will leave for Wellington this afternoon. Mr L. B. Tnch has been admitted, by ; Mr Justice Callan as a solicitor of the - Supreme Court on the motion of Mr !<• - II a hcli. ? Dr I. J. Cunningham has been ap- , pointed superintendent of the W allaceville Animal Research Station, succeed- " ing Dr C. S. M. Hopkirk. who has accepted a position with Unrra. Mr W. J. Truscott, president of the New Zealand Manufacturers' Association, and Mr S. H. Hunter, a representative of the Auckland branch, have i left for Wellington to attend a council meeting of the Manufacturers' Association.