SHOP HOURS BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 140, 15 June 1891, Page 2

SHOP HOURS BILL.

(By R. FRZNcn.)

Amongst the Labour Bills introduced by the Government is the Shop Hours Bill. As this Bill, in this city alone, has so far been under the consideration of five distinct committees, and some other associations interested purpose considering, its pro- ; visions, a review of it, and comparison with the original Bill intro-" duced four years since by J. Joyce,| Esq., M.H.R. for Lybtelton, and re-intrc* duced by him this session, will be of interest. The Sweating Commissioners in their report state —" This Commission ox-. presses its entire sympathy with the movement to secure early closing ; but, having i in viow the diversity of opinion on the par* of its promoters, is unable to recommend any direct method by which this desirable object is to be attained." To assist in securing a measure of unanimity I would suggest that when the various Committees have separately dealt with the Bill, a joint meeting be held to compare notes and see where the views diverge, and if possible come to a common understanding. In the Government Bill, section 3, sub-section 1 reads :—" Shops to be closed ab the hour of six of the clock." In Joyce's Bill shops shall be closed except during the hours from six o'clock a.m. till six o'clock p.m. This is an important difference. According to the Government Bill if you closed ab six o'clock, you could re-open ab a quarter past. The clause in Joyce's Bill would completely kill Sunday trading (see section 2). The Government Bill provides for a late night, and a two o'clock day, bub jj does nob provide for shops keeping open to the late hour the evening preceding a public holiday. Joyce's does, and specifies tho • holidays, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, the birthday of the reign-. ing sovereign of the United Kingdom, tho birthday of the Prince of Wales, andChrifitmas Day ; and in case any of such days falls, on a Sunday, then for the purposes of tho Act the next following day shall be deemed ■ bo be a public holiday.

In Joyce's Bill provision is made, section 5, (h), for provisioning any mail steamer, or supplying anybhing in case of sickness { (c), Nob to render unlawful the continuance in a shop after the hour of closing, of any, customers who were in the shop immediately before thab hour, or the serving of such customers, nob later than one hour after the time of closing. Those important clauses are not in th 9 Government Bill, neither are these:—Section 3. A shop in which trades of two or more kinds are carried on shall be closed for the purpose of all such trades at the hour at which it is in this Act required to be closed for the purpose of any of them.' Section 4. No employer shall permit M employee to remain in any retail shop of; premises later than one hour after the J/w% scribed time of closing, except for the par pose of stock-taking. Both the above sections aro required; at special busy times the extra work will bava to be done in the morning instead of by gaslight. The penalty for breach of tbe closing clause in tho Government Bill is ceeding £25, in Joyce's not less than £" OT more than £5 for first offence, not less than £5 or more than £10 for any subsequent offence. The radius for closing in Joyce o, Bill is any city or borough or within two miles thereof respectively, a needed definition to prevent the unpleasantness that occurred in Victoria. The GovernmeßJ Bill specifies cities and foorougbs. In t_9 first Bill of the late Governments there wei a clause enabling exempted trades to conaO under tbe Act by petition. Some euott clause would be useful, also one enabling road boards or highway districts to adopt the Act, if so minded. ,-"_".'',, The principal alterations required in the present Bill are in the first five clauses; too remaining portion appears to be fairly workable? No doubt the Government will refer the Bill to a special Committee, nob to shelve ib, as -suggested by the " Herald," bub to obfcaiff bhe best workabh*