THE LATE NIGHT.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18545, 21 November 1925, Page 5

THE LATE NIGHT.

GROCERS DISAGREE. SUBURBAN PROTESTS. The hearing of the case in the Arbitration Court, in which a number of suburban grocers petitioned against the ycLommciiilation of tho Conciliation Council that, the closing hour on Fridays should be 9 p.m., was continued >ejtcrdnv. His Honour, -Mr Justice l- :axc:\ presided, with him being Messrs \Y Scott and H. Hunter, employers and workers' assessors respectively. Mr Prime asked that the reeommenliati'ms of the Conciliation Council ..:i!,itilit he ritilied. Charle- Henrv Smith, bumner, -nicer, on behalf of the petitioners, said that the position was the same as when lie appeared l>efore the Court on Tuesday last. There were 3HS people involved in the petition, against the propused extension, and only 83 in favour of it. . _ To Mr Prime: Witness said that tho su!>uHkiii shopkeepers did not the C.'itv shopkeepers to get tho money which should he spent in the suburbs. He was sure that by keeping open an extra haif hour. City shopkeepers would <;<••! a great deal oi business that now vent to the suburban shopkeepers. The more facilities that wore offered to people to shop in the City. the. more inducement was offered them to spend money away troni the suburbs. The Sumner business people wanted to a share of tho wages paid to workingmen on Fridays. To Mr Prime: Witness admitted that he bad been approached by a mini Her of grocers before he did nnythinrr hinv in respect of the petition. Ho had not taken the initiative himself. During the last two years when his shop had been closing at 9 p.m.. he had lost no business. The City Grocer 3. Alfred Ernest Kincai.d said that tho ligures quoted by .Mr Smith were incorrect. He submitted that CHy grocers employed more hands than all the. suburban shops together. It was only right that tho public should ho ablo to purchase goods where they wished to, and ho contended that to close at 8.30 p.m. would not give people sufficient time in which to do their shopping. It w as not right to use the Court to make people buy goods where they did not want to. City shopkeepers wero at a disadvantage compared with suburban, one reason being tJiat they had heavier rents to pay. Tho Court reserved its decision.