BIG CHANGES PROPOSED.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19057, 20 July 1927, Page 11

BIG CHANGES PROPOSED.

SHOPS AND OFFICES ACT.

IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS.

[TEB MtESS Special B«rvie«.]

WELLINGTON, July 19,

Important amendments of tho Shops and Offices Act are proposed by the Uoverament in *u amending Bill introduced in tne ttouse ot itepreseutauvea to-ui&at. Miuuaen are to tx» exempted lrom the proseut resinouoti, wtucu noes not permit ot uieur wonting oetore 4 n.m,, but no toy or girl saiiU oe employed oetore V a.m. in wiiich teiepiione and telegrapu business are conducted are to oe allowed to remain open on holidays to enaolo the carrying on of the postal business.

in regard to the closing hours of shops at 6 p.m. four days a week and at 9 p.m. on late nights in the larger towns, the Act of 1921 specified certain towns with a population exceed. ing 5000. As the result of increased population since this provision via made, other towns will, it proposed, come under the same provision. Chemists may arrange among themselves the closing hours on Sundays, which hours shall be made lawful by requisition. Closing Hours. Section 12 of the. Bill will limit the power of the Court in fixing the closing hours in the larger towns covered by Section 31 of the principal Act, and the majority of the shopkeepers in any trade, if they so desire, will be able by requisition to have the closing hours fixed to cover all shops in their trade and district. In fixing the closing hours of shops the Court shall have regard to the convenience of tho public. Occupiers of shops who might be required to close by order of the Court shall be afforded the opportunity of being heard. At present the exemptions from closing under awards of the Court are dealt with by the Court itself on certain grounds. In cases such as undue hardship they are dealt with by the local Magistrate, and in other cases there are no exemptions from closing by requisition. . . The Bill contains provisions to bring these into line and enable all exemptions to he dealt with by Magistrates under certain conditions. There is provision to prevent shopkeepers sending their carts into adjoining districts in which the half-holiday or closing hours are different from those in the district in which the business is actually established. Begistratlon of Asiatics.

There is an important provision in the Bill in regard to Asiatics for the registration of shops in which Asiatics are employed. Every shop in which two or more Asiatics are engaged (whether employees or not) shall be registered in the name of one person, or occupier, and no alteration in the name of th© registered occupier shall be made except with the approval of the Inspector. Any Asiatic (whether an employee or not) engaged in any such shop except the registered occupier thereof, and the wife or husband of such occupier, as the case may be, shall, for the purpose of the Act, be deemed to be a §iop assistant. This clause ia evidently meant to deal with cases in which all the Asiatics in a shop say they are partners in the business and -at such can work beyond the hours that shop assistants could work. There is a clause providing that where occupiers of shops who are not tobacconists sell tobacco, cigars, and cigarettes, they must post up a notice that they sell such goods and specify the time of each day when the sale of such goods is prohibited.