"RAFFERTY'S RULES."

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 206, 30 August 1940, Page 3

"RAFFERTY'S RULES."

PETROL BOWSER HOURS. REPCY TO CRITICISM. WELLINGTON, thie day. "I am satisfied on the evidence I have received that 'Rafferty's rules' exieted and that employees in many cases worked all kinds of hours," declared the Minister of Labour, Mr. Webb, in the House of Representatives yesterday during discussion on the Statutes Amendment Bill.

The Minister was replying to Opposition criticism of the new houre observed by petrol resellers. Hβ said that the question of houre was threehed out by resellere for two years, and for 12 months he held up action. They wished to have extended to them the same privileges that existed in regard to the closing of shops. Before anything was done each district had to take a 'ballot of members and they had to get an overwhelming majority. In Pabnerston North every reseller except one wee keen to have regular houre of closing.

"Before the regulations came into operation," said the Minister, "resellers had to make satisfactory arrangements to meet the neede of the public Among themselves they agreed that certain places ehoiild be open all night in order that the travelling public might be supplied. Evidence has. iheen submitted to me that in many cases men had to be kept on duty to supply occasional cars that could have been supplied earlier and more conveniently."

The Minister added that the regulations were necessary to the trade and any injustices that might be felt would be removed.—(Parliamentary Reporter.)