SATURDAY CLOSING

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25085, 17 January 1947, Page 6

SATURDAY CLOSING

SEASIDE SHOPS SEEK EXEMPTION

Shopkeepers at Sumner and Redcliffs are determined to fight the issue of compulsory closing on Saturday to a legal finish. A barrister has been engaged to watch their interests, and an appeal has been lodged against the decision of the Arbitration Qourt. ’ A somewhat similar application for exemption was made before Mr W. Carrol Harley, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Whangarei at the end of last year, and in that case Mr Harley granted the application of seaside shops but refused that of country stores.

Until this application is disposed of, it is likely that the majority of Sumner and New Brighton shops will remain open on Saturdays. The Labour Department at Christchurch 4 has been advised by some shopkeepers that they intend to close, but it has had no advice from many others.

The application to the Court at Whangarei was made for the seaside stores by the Auckland Master Grocers’ Association, on behalf of which Mr R. M. Barker submitted that there was a need for their opening on Saturdays. He said they had agreed to close on Wednesdays.. He opposed the granting of the country stores’ application. Mr Harley, in his decision, said it was in the public interest for seaside stores to be open at the week-end. He added that he would be glad if the cases were taken to a higher court for a ruling. It has been contended by those interested that the position of shopkeepers at New Brighton and Sumner was overlooked when the Master Grocers’ Association appointed the assessors in connexion with the hearing for the recent award, and that the position in respect of the seaside boroughs was not made clear to the Court when the award was made, especially as when New Brighton and Sumner amalgamated with the city, the Mayor, councillors, and town clerk of Christchurch''did everything in their power to protect the position which existed at the time as far as the seaside boroughs were concerned. When New Brighton amalgamated with the city, an amendment to the Shops and Offices Act enabled shopkeepers in that area to keep business premises open on Saturday. When Sumner amalgamated with the city on April 1, 1945, the City Council obtained a similar concession for that area.* For years before the areas joined the city, the Shoes and Offices Act enabled residents to determine by poll which day of the week would be the statutory closing day, and for 20 years no change was made.