FRUITERERS AND THE HALFHOLIDAY.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9364, 13 March 1896, Page 6

FRUITERERS AND THE HALFHOLIDAY.

Some ahorb time ago a deputation from the fruiterers waited on Messrs J. Joyce, G. W. Rueaell, G. J. Smith, C. Lewis, W. W. Collins, and W. W. Tanner, M.ELR.'e, and complained of the unfair way in which some of the fruiterers were treated regarding the half holiday. The result of the meeting was that the following letter was sent to the Hon. the Minister for Labour :— "We lind there ia considerable dissatisfaction with the presenc method of administering the Shop and Shop Assistants Act, owing to fruiterers who sell pot plants and seeds being required to close whilst others who sell vegetables are not required to close. We think that it might be possible to secure uniformity by following the precedent of laac year, viz , by allowing all fruiterers to keep open provided they agree not to sell anything but fruit on the naif-holiday. If agreeable, we suggest that the Labour Inspector be advised accordingly." Mr G. W. Russell, M.H.R., on behalf of the other members, has juat received the following reply from the Hon. the Minister for Labour :—" Gentlemen — I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 2nd instant, which has received full consideration. The matter was referred to the Crown law officer for opinion, and he reports as follows :—' Ido not think that the operation of uhe Act should in any way be interfered with. It is for the Court to determine what the Act means, and for the shopkeepers to obey it. If the Minister interferes he throws himself open to the charge of interfering with the administration of justice. Even if the suggested arrangement were not open to this objection, it would probably pro/c futile, for I can see nothing in the Act to prevent a prosecution being instituted by anybody, and of course the Minister can at most do no more than instruct the Inspector not to prosecute.' You will perceive that it would be unwise for Ministers to interfere with the administration of tbe Act in face of this opinion, and of the judgments of Stipendiary Magietrates in Christchurch and Dußodin.— latn, &0.,. R. J. Beddow."