The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 1835.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 5, 7 January 1895, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 1835.

For the cause that lacks aaai-tanoe, For tho -wrong that needs reaiataneo, For the future in the digtanee. And tha good that ire can ia.

Notwithstanding that information regarding the Shops and Shop Assistants Act has been pretty widely circulated in our midst, and the' provisions of the measure have been freely discussed, a good deal of ignorance and misunderstanding seems still to prevail in connection with it. On New Year's Day the new Act came ia force, and on Saturday last the Inspector of Factories, Mr H. Ferguson, after allowing, as it were, a few days of grace, commenced his tour of inspection to ascertain if the law were being complied with. One result of his investigations was that, he found in the premises of three business firms the clerks at work after one o'clock ia the afternoon. All the proprietors virtually pleaded ignorance of the fact

hat the Act, thanks to an amendment

thrust* into the Bill against the wishes of the Government by the Legislative Council, expressly requires that all offices except shipping, tramway and newspaper offices shall be closed at one o'clock on Saturday and at five o'clock on all other week days, and that the employees must not be kept at work later than half an hour after the prescribed time of closing. The Inspector very wisely contented himself with 'obtaining from the offending firms their assurances that the provisions of the Act should not be infringed in future.

It is not to be supposed that the plea of ignorance of the law advanced by them will be accepted as an excuse from similar delinquents in future. Whatever the merits or demerits of the Act may be, Mr Ferguson's duty is to to see that its provisions are enforced, and in the performance of his duty he may find it necessary to take proceedings even against those who have unwittingly transgressed. In view of the rigour with which the Inspector has determined to enforce tbe Act, it would be well for every employer to make himself or herself thoroughly conversant with the measure.

It is in the case of office employees that the greatest amount of misunderstanding probably exists. By this time shopkeepers and their hands have pretty well mastered those portions of the Act which apply to themselves. But the business men hardly appear to have devoted so much attention to the matter. Mr Fergusons action will serve, it is hoped, as a timely warning to those among their number who have neglected the study of the new law, and they will take care to conform to it before he makes his next visit of inspection.

We understand that among business circles there is a general desire to work in harmony with the law. The Inspector has received assurances to that effect from all quarters. At first there was a strong feeling that the provisions requiring all offices to close at 5 o'clock on the first five week days and at one o'clock on Saturday were decidedly irksome, and although that feeling has by no means been entirely dispelled, yet the merchants and others are wisely endeavouring to make things work as smoothly as possible under the new regime. Their task is not altogether such an easy one. To close their offices at a definite hour every day, will at first of necessity entail some disorganisation in the conduct of their affairs. In large shops which do not shut till six, it would certainly be an inconvenience to have the office in connection with the business closed at five o'clock. Especially in a bouse doing a large cash trade would this be the case, This drawback has, we understand, been represented by some of our leading merchants to the Chief Inspector, Mr Tregear, who is how in Hamilton, and he will doubtless take the^ matter into.

consideration when he return.? to town.-, Y-. ' a

The inconvenience resulting from the early closing of offices generally is not nearly so great as at first sight would appear. In the first place, although the hour of closing prescribed in one section of the Act is five o'clock, by another section it is permitted to employ the clerks for-half an hour after the office is shut. This wiU not allow of any business being done between the office and the public after five, but still it does not deprive employers of the services of their clerks at an earlier hour than they are in most cases in the habit of dispensing with them. It is also provided that cashiers, ledger-keepers, and cashbook - keepers may, before leaving their offices, balance the books in their charge of the day's transactions. Again, while we should be sorry to support any opposition to a reasonable limitation of the hours of labour such as the Act,notwithstandingallitsshortcoraings, has aimed at, it should be remembered that the employers of clerks are in no way bound down as shopkeepers are.j If the former must allow their servants to leave not later than half-past five they need not suffer. They are quite at liberty to require their clerks to be at their desks earlier in the morning than hitherto, and they can also limit the time for lunch. We mention this only to show that the provisions of the Act with regard to offices are not so hard as some people 4 have supposed, and certainly from no wish that employers will act on the suggestion.

Some employers in the South, we are assured, do intend that their clerks shall commence work earlier if they are going to leave earlier, and in Auckland there has been rumour of a similar intention on the part bf some of our merchants, We hardly think that here at least the rumour will ever become a fact. We do not doubt that for the present some workable arrangement can be arrived at, which will enable the law to be observed without loss or great inconvenience till next session, when any amendments which may be found necessary can be made. By increased assiduity, the clerks have it in their power to prove to their employers that the slight curtailment, where it occurs, in the hours of working, has not interfered with the prosperity of the business.