SHOPS AND OFFICES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 284, 30 November 1910, Page 9

SHOPS AND OFFICES.

EFFECTS OF A NEW CLAUSE. (By Telesraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Under the Shops and Offices Bill, which has just passed the legislature, and which is oaly awaiting the Govenor's sjnuature, many of the shops now keeping open at nijrht will have to be closed. Section 13 provides that every shop shall be registered by the occupier thereof with the Inspector of Factories in the name of one person as occupier, and except in the case of a husband or wife, as the case may be, any other peraons engaged in the business of the shop shall be deemed to be strop assistants. The effect of this is, even if a shop Is ~ owned by three men, it must be registered in the name of one of them, and the others, being known aa " assistants " under the Act, cannot work beyond the ordinary closing hour, which, with certain exceptions, ie 6 p.m. There is an addition to clause 25 of the principal Act, relating to closing by requisition, which reads: "Nothing in this eeotion shall entitle the occupier of a shop to employ his assistants beyond the hours provided lor euch assistants under this Act." The meaning , of -this amendment is that although the hours during -wfcich shops may be open may be extended by requisition, the occupiers are prevented from employing their assistants during . the extended hours. . The amendments made in the bill will have the effect of allowing only one person to carry on any business after the hours fixed by this statute for do»ing, the only exception relating to husband i and wife. ,