EXTENDED HOURS FOR SHOPPING

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27753, 2 September 1955, Page 12

EXTENDED HOURS FOR SHOPPING

PARLIAMENI

Second-Reading Debate On Bid “NOTHING TO INTERFERE WITH MAKING OF AWARDS” (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) * WELLINGTON, September 1. ‘"There is nothing in this bill that interferes with the principle of the 40-hour week—it was never intended or desired,” said the Minister of Labour (Mr W. Sullivan) in the House of Representatives this evening, when he moved the second readin”’ of the Shops and Offices Bill.

There is nothing that interferes with the making of awards, said Mr Sullivan. “There is nothing that interferes m any way with the true functioning of the Court of Arbitration, and I don’t believe that the Labour Party itself expected this country to carry on with a 40-hour, five-day week. I don’t think it was ever intended.

“Every time a housewife on holiday bought a pound of tea, ® became a criminal,” said Mr Sullivan. “Now she can get it legitimately ... It is going to legalise something that is now illegal, and cannot be stopped.” exempted goods was not wide enough, said Mr Sullivan, and it was not ineluded in the schedule of the bill because it was easier to add or alter by regulation. In 1930, a committee appointed by Parliament had recommended Sunday sales of cigarettes and tobacco, said the ■Minister, and only now were such sales being legalised. “When this legislation is passed, we will have a clear run, and everybody will know where we are,” said Mr Sullivan.

The bill provided everythin? necessary for shops to trade, and it laid down the minimum conditions for the health and safety of persons in shops, warehouses, etc., said Mr Sullivan. It paid due regard to the needs of the public, and saw that the public obtained the services it wanted. The services were limited. The Labour Department would be organised to give “a seven-day-a-week policing” of the act. Surprise was caused when Miss M. B. Howard (Opposition. Sydenham) rose to open the discussion on the bill for the Opposition. Before entering Parliament, Miss Howard was secretary of the Canterbury General Labourers’ Unijn. She said the Federation of Labour had never changed its stand that the 40-hour week meant from Monday to Friday wherever possible. The bill; was a masterpiece of words. Her argument was that the bill was unnecessary if the public w?" educated to buy its goods by Friday each week. The debate was not as lively as had been expected for a major piece of legislation. The mmerous amendments made since the bill was originally introduced appeared to have removed much possible cause for argument. The bill w’lll not be further discussed until next Wednesday. Conflict of Traders’ Views As reported by the Press Association, Mr Sullivan said the bill was principally a consolidation, and, if passed, would come into operation in February next year. The bill had created some controversy, which was nrobably all to the good, and there had been a conflict in the views of the trade itself on the hours of trade, and on what goods should be sold after normal hours. The bill, however, met most views fairly and squarely. The Minister said the big question was where did service to the public start and finish in a bill of this kind Some trade unions bad been critical of the measure because it was thought that it was ar. attempt to interfere with the 40-hour week. Throughout the bill, the interests of the industrial unions were given fair consideration, and at the same time the bill paid due regard to the needs of the public, which were paramount all the time. Mr Sullivan said that every organisation which had appeared before the Labour Bills Committee did so because of one desire—to assist in order to get the best out of a difficult job. The Master Grocers' Federation for some time past had been critical of him, because of certain practices which were going on throughout the country, and which could not be stopped unless there was an army of inspectors larger than all the armed forces, said Mr Sullivan. But the federation’s view of the bill was that the list of exempted goods which could be sold outside normal hours should be as limited as possible. The federation was probably the most affected interest.

a man should not buy chocolates for his sweetheart on Fridays. The exempted list should be kept “very, very tight,” she said. She was amazed that the Minister should have hinted the list might be widened. The list, as it now was, was too wide. If lemon spread could be sold, then all the other things to spread on bread should also be allowed. “But who the deuce wants to buy pickles and relishes on a Sunday?” she asked. The Opposition, she said, did not believe that the list should be fixed or altered by Order-in-Council. The list should be written into the bill. Miss Howard said there was a great need for legal protection for retailers of petrol. They had organised themselves under a roster system, but “there are pirates everywhere,” and if one retailer opened up outside his rostered hours, the whole system broke down.

Summing up the Opposition’s stand on the bill, Miss Howard said: “We believe the major object should be service to the people in an orderly and organised manner, without the introduction of the old principle of outright competition which destroys the leisure of the workers, and there should be no interference with the power and standing of the Court of Arbitration.” Mr H. Johnstone (Government, Raglan) said Opposition members of the Labour Bills Committee did not vote on whether the hearing of evidence should be open to the press. This was indicative of their “neither for nor against” outlook. The debate was interrupted by the adjournment at 10.30 pjn._ MORE CHANGES INJBILL SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR MILK ROUNDS (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, September 1. Additional amendments for inclusion in the Shops and Offices Bill were circulated in the House of Representatives tonight. One of them makes it lawful to employ persons between 14 and 16 years of age in the delivery of milk between 6 aun. and 7 a.m. Another provides for a six-day week for persons employed in the delivery of milk or newspapers, where the working hours do not exceed 42 a week.

The Federation of Labour had given useful, valuable, and constructive evidence before the committee, said the Minister. There were some clauses in the draft bill to which the federation was justified in raising objections, end some had been withdrawn. On the bill's provision that boys of 12 and over should be allowed to deliver morning newspapers, starting at 6 aun M he expected plenty of criticism from the Opposition, Mr Sullivan said. However, the evidence received by the committee, he believed, was in favour of boys being allowed to deliver morning newspapers. Exempted Goods Exemptions from the list of goods which were not allowed to be sold by shops at week-ends were not numerous enough, said the Minister. When the bill was passed, one of the most important moves would be to have the list completed and made law by Order-in-Council. “We have a duty to grocers and those who are forced to close at the week-ends, but I don’t believe the present list is nearly wide enough.’’ he said. There was a general prohibition of Sunday trading in the bill, said Mr Sullivan. There were some existing exemptions, and he supposed they were necessary. “I am sure no member of this House wants to see an extension of the principle of Sunday trading,” said the Minister. “The whole objective of the bill is to tidy up a dirty situtaion that has developed over the years,” said Mr Sullivan. An advisory committee would fix the list of exempted goods. There was nothing in the bill which would interfere with the making of awards or would interfere with the functions of the Court of Arbitration Miss Howard said that, far from the bill being a tribute to the law draftsman, “no ordinary shopkeper will be able to get through the morass of words.” About 100 amendments nad been made to the original draft, wid most of the recornmendattong of

Overtime is not to be payable to an office assistant so as to make his total remuneration from one employee for a fortnight ending with a Saturday (including overtime) exceed £5O. The former provision referred to a maximum of £1250 a year.

The . purpose of another amendment is to omit the provision enabling a defendant in proceedings for certain offenees to be called by an inspector of factories and to be compellable to give evidence. Conditions under which the dismissal of assistants in shops, offices, warehouses, and stores is a breach of the law are embodied in a final amendment It provides that an employer commits an offence if he dismisses or suspends an assistant, or alters his position to his prejudice, where at any time within the preceding 12 months the assistant was entitled to some benefit under the act, or supported any such claim to it by giving evidence or otherwise. It shall be a defence to the employer if he proves that action was taken for other reasons.

the Federation of Labour had been accepted. There still existed a fear that the week would be interfere 1 with, she said. She could not understand why some clauses appeared in die bill, as no one had asked for them. She considered the bill would create much misunderstanding, because experts would be required to interpret many of its provisions. Miss Howard said that the Police Force should have retained the right » police the provisions of the bill, md it should not have been transferred x> the Department of Labour. She rnuld not see how the department jould do the job unless its inspectors ’worked oyer the week-ends or the intended to set up a Organisation of Purchases There was a case for educating people to organise their purchasing, that they would not require to puy anything over the week-end, said Miss Howard. She could not see why cigarettes and tobacco could not >e Dougnt on a Friday night, or why

PARLIAMENTARY DAY (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, September 1. The promise of a bright opening to the second reading debate on the Shops and Offices Bill in the House of Representatives this evening did not materialise. No feeling was shown by five speakers. Although indications are that the debate will be very wide, it is not unlikely to be as bitter as expected when the bill -was first introduced. More than 80 amendments were made by the Labour Bills Committee, and many of the provisions which the Opposition was prepared to attack have been deleted. Second readings were given this afternoon to the Housing Improvement Amendment Bill, the Electrical Supply Authorities Bill, the Mutual Insurance Bill, the Opticians’ Amendment Bill, and the Births and Deaths Amendment BilL None is a controversial measure. The Order Paper was swelled with the introduction of four bills. They deal with the consolidation of Maori land laws and trusts, the election of chairmen of electric power boaros, destitute persons, and licensing trust finances. The House adjourned at 10.30 pjn. until 9.30 am. tomorrow, when, among other items on the Estimates, the voles for the defence services will be considered.