THE SHOP HOURS ACT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 200, 22 August 1905, Page 2

THE SHOP HOURS ACT.

IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS,

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day

The battle over the Shops and Unices Amendment Act as to whether the measure shall be compulsory on early closing at one o'clock, or merely restricting the hours of assistants, has tempoiarn_, lulled. The bill is still in the committee stage, and it is not known when it will again be considered. Tne presen. position i≤ that ihe clause defining shop assistants' hours without exemptions has been struck out as recommenced b\ the Labour Bills Lommittee. The consideration of the clause recommending exemptions is yet to be iaken, but tno Labour members on the Labour Bills Committee wiil strive to make the bin an early closing one. Mr Arnold will move tnat all shops in tie eombineu districts, and any boroughs of the colony, and within a mile radius thereof, shall close at six o'clock on working days, and one o'clock and 10 o'clock respec.ively on the other two, with the following exemptions: Chemists, hairdressers, and tobacconists to close at b o'clock on four days, while the bakers, conlectioiievs, dairy shops, fishmongers, florists, and fruiterers would be whollj exempt." Provision is also made for midnight closing at Christmas, the .New Year, and lia&ter. Had the New Liberals at.ended the final meetings of the .Labour Bills Committee, instead of tourDig the colony, there is a likeiinood that this would have been the Labour Bills Committee's recommendation, as thej had notified Mr Arnold of their approval of such a provision. Mr Arnold is, however, not hopeful of ihis being adopted by the House in committee. As the .Premier's statements indicate that he is not favourable to making the measure a true early closing one, hopes of this being effected rest on ihe Legislative Council. It is considered probable that that body, which insisted on early closing in the combined centres, without the exemptions, of last session, will hold out for the same thing, only wnh exemptions this session. This is practically what Mr Arnold is seeking by the amendment mentioned. It is understood that the Premier is confident that Mr Massev's amendment carried by the House in committee, providing for three-fifths instead of a bare majority, re closing by requisition of shopkeepers outside the combined centres, will be rejected by the Council.