LABOUR LAW.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 223, 21 September 1927, Page 19

LABOUR LAW.

WAITRESSES' HOURS.

AX AMENDING BILL.

TIME IN REFRESHMENT ROOMS

WELLINGTON', Tuesday,

"Too much interference with private enterprise," interjected Mr. T. M. Wilford (Hutt) when the Minister of Labour was explaining in considerable detail the amendments in shops and offices law included in the hill now before Parlia-

ment. Mr. Anderson's retort wan that it was quite impossible to do without these restrictions, which, he admitted, were in ninny respects irritating, but the small shopkeeper traded in the vicinity of other shops, lie employed only one hand, and was a potential competitor of the larger shops and an annoyance to men who were compelled by law to j?ive assistants hours off. "The only other way to remedy this difficulty of interference," concluded the Minister of Labour, "is to abolish the whole thing, and I don't think it feasible in this country." "A sorry piece of legislation," was Mr. J. A. Lee's description of the bill. "For many years," he said, "there had been l move to reduce the hours of girls in refreshment rooms, but at this juncture the Minister was taking steps to extend their hours by Act. Instead of leaving woTk at 9.30 p.m. these prirls would now have to work on till 10.30 and scramble for' trsm or bus to get home. We are making huge breaches in our Shops and Offices Act by and through the bill, and the result will be to enable unfair employers to set a standard for fair employers. Does the Prime Minister think young girls should have to work till 10.30 p.m.?" Mr. Bartram (CJrey Lynn): Many of them voted for hini. y Mr. Lee: There are other vicious proposals in thif bill, but the extension of young girls' hours is the worst. Criticism from Government Whip. Mr. J. S. Dickson (Parncll), the chief Government Whip, in one of his rare speeches, declared that. he endorsed the remark* of the member 'for Auckland East. ''I wis brought up in a shop all .mylife, and think it a very unfair thing that young girls should have to ' work till even '9.30 p.m.," saidMr.Dick■on. "I had a difference with the Minister when the bill was being dealt with by the/Labour Bills Committee. I think it la wrong to keep the girls on after BJO p.m. Most meals'are disposed of by 7JO, so why should they be kept on longer for the . sake of a few pleasure* M«kera? . The same thing applies to marblebars."

/Mr. Lee: If they left it at 9.30 it would not be so bad. Mr. Dickson i But 9.30 is too late. I don't we why, for the sake, of a few piaasure-ieekers girls should be compalled to stay on till an hour when they will have to fight for. a place in crowded trans.' ! am notfeatlsfied with the bill.' 11m are a lot of things, in the bill that art not wanted, but in this clause extending the hours the Minister has gonea '.bit; too. far. . I propose to move an amendment in committee fixing the hour for leaving work at 8.30 p.m., and I hope the Minister will accept it. ' Years ago -Jf helped to get the hour altered from 11J0. I look upon it as placing temptation iin the way of girls to keep them out too late. We hive got to see that it is',not done. Let people go home and have supper. I know the Minister is really sympathetic with these girls. Mr. Lee: Not much evidence of it here. Mr. Diekson: We must not misjudge Mai. He might accept the amendment. Mr. Fraser: That's fair. Mr. Anderson: Test it and try. ' Mr. Dickson: I promised the girls I would move this amendment.

- r A Bit of History. The member for Parnell went on to My. that lie wag secretary of the Shop Assistants' Union when all shops kept men till 9 o'clock. When the restrictions were imposed many shopkeepers declared that tney would be ruined, and the same thing was said when the halfholiday was proposed. It was found that no difference was made to trade. Mr. BartVam (Grey Lynn) joined with other speakers in protesting against «tended hours for girls. It seemed to mm that the Minister had yielded to tittirore. »If given an extra squeeze he might extend waitresses' hours to 11 for > conTen ' ence of theatre crowds. thank the House for receiving the Ml i» this way," said Mr. Anderson, When replying. "I understood we wiere to be all.night on this bill." • Mr. Dickson: We might be ye,t. V; Continuing, the Minister said members v jmder a misapprehension. This bill •id not extend the hours to girls in Restaurants. - For a good many years the jaw '? r wstaurant waitresses had been JOJ3O. • "In fact, 1 was one of those who foaght fop 10 o'clock some years ago," .•iid' Mr; Anderson, "but we had to be content with 10.30.

. Mlwadewtood, Styi Minister. "This bill does ■ not extend the hours ! '"'young ladies in marble bars, refreshneat rooms, or for restaurants. It simply ; 2SSL" l»wful for girls employed in the HROSraeat section,, of a small shop to . sell confectionery in the other part of *®op till 10.30 p.m. This bill won't weass half-a-dozen girls' hotirs in the whole .of New Zealand." i'iJi^£ rM ? r: 1)0 y° u BU Rgest that this npuation is tp compel only six girls to hnger hours? The Minister: The hon. gentleman aust not twist my statement. im comn^^tee the short title of the j r 1 yy passed without debate, and proS**u WM j Te Ported, leave being asked \ *° wt again.

REFORM MEMBER .TOFWS I>* LABOUR ijfef PROTEST.

(By Mfgrapli.— Parliamentary Reporter.)