SHOP HOURS

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 254, 25 October 1919, Page 7

SHOP HOURS

ASSISTANTS WAST A SHORTER WEEK. APPEAL FOR LEGISLATION. Wellington papers contain fuller -et ports than those telegraphed of the | deputation of shop assistants that waited |on the Prime Minister at Wellington on Thursday, suggesting that he might this session introduce legislation to right some grievances. Especially they asked for a statutory reduction of the maximum i number of hours prescribed for shop a_- | sistants. j Mr. R. D. Martin said that in acMial 1 fact varying hours were worked in the shops. Some establishments worked j their assistants for 52 hours per week, others 48, and others 45 hours. The shop assistants had originally intended to ask for legislation fixing a 40. hours week, but in view of the fact that the present session was to be a short one, they had modified their request, and nonasked 'for a week of 44 hours, with provision for closing at 5.30 p.m. on five j days of the week, and at noon on SaturI day. .He assured the Prime Minister 1 that every effort hud been made to 'secure reduction of hours hy other means. Many of the shopkeepers—a i majority of them —were prepared to accept a reduction of hours, but while there were others who held out against lit the reform could not be generally j adopted. It could be achieved only by I legislation. Other requests were tha; the Saturday should be observed as a whole holiday at Easter, that the clause | providing that in case a half-holiday | occurs in the week the ordinary halfholiday need not be given be repealed, I and that chemists' shops should not be allowed to remain open on Sundays. i Mr. R. McKeen a«ked for the repeal of I the clause by winch an employer was permitted to work an employee receivjinc .€2OO per year or move overtime I without paying waged for the extra time ; worked. 1 Mr. lsitt. M.P.. said that he was probably the only retailer present, and he 'as«urcd the Prime Minister that there was a universal desire on the part of the j employers to meet the demands of the 'employees. He did not quite see how tl'O 44 hours' weoic could be worked. The ;closing at 5.30 was no difficulty, but it I was much to he desired that the shops fhould be opened for a few minutes before nine in the morning. Nor did he think that the late nicdit could be done away with, althoucrh an hour might he cut off the working time The rthopkecnors did not want this Into night. in their own interests, but there were many working people who had no other opportunity of _oin_r their shopping. i....Mr. Massey..-, said he believed it was. necessary periodically to review such I Acts as the Shops and Offices Act and I the Factories Act. During the war period legislation of this kind had been \ impossible, and it was not much easier ito deal with it even yet. Parliament I wars now within a few days of the end Jof the session, anJ already some members | j had left Wellington. A report had got j out that an amendment of the Shops and Offices Act was contemplated, and he hail | received a number of communications 'from employers asking that they be | heard hefore any change was made in the i law. These people had a right to be .heard now that they had asked for it, | and th-.- -position was simply that there j would not be time to hear them. For | this reason ho did not think that an | ' amendment of the law would he possible this year. For hi* own part there was ;no 44 hours week in his oflice. He came J ■to his office at nine every morning, and | ,he was always content to sec members go home at 1.30 the next morning. Par- I was working at the highest pres-j ' sure. Tie did not think it would be possible to continue the session beyond, the end of next week, and he did not j fee how any more was to he added to I (he programme for the session. Thematters raised were all matters that would require consideration by the House and members would not he prepared to let them through without talking about them, and at some, length. He was not finding fault with the deputation for coming forward with their requests, and if he had the opportunity he would be only too glad to give Parliament somo proposals regarding them. He thought that the powers of the Court should be extended to give'the Court the right not ' only to fix the. hours of work of shop assistants, but to fix hottr.s for the closI inn; of shops. Something of this sort ! might be arranged easily enough. | Mr. Martin: Will you do it this ses-' sion? ! Mr. Maswev: I don't mind frying. I Mr. Witty': 1 think you will get that i through all right. I Mr. Martin: That would materially ! assist us. ! Mr. Croskery *aid that this would in- | volve a delay of three months in getting 'the matters before the Court, and he ; -till pressed for other legislation. | Mr. Massey pointed out again that if anything of the sort, were proposed the ': employers, even a minority of them, would have the right to be heard before ithc Labour Pills Committee, and this | would take more time than could be ! found for the business. Ho --..".id that the House would have to meet very enrly noxt year, and owing to war accumulation members of the House mlist come next year prepared fpr a six months' session. If the matter could be allowed to stand over for the time being he would trive an undertaking that next year, if he were still in otlice. which he thought quite likely, the Shops and | Offices Bill would be revised. Tn the i meantime be would be preoared to introduce a clause <riv-inff the Court power to [fix hours oT closins shops. ! As the deputation withdrew Mr. Mas- ' spy gave instrnctiorf to Mr. Rowley, I Seerotsrv of Labour, to *nve a clause .drafted to give effect to the promise he I had made.