TOBACCONISTS' GRIEVANCES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 30, 30 October 1907, Page 7

TOBACCONISTS' GRIEVANCES.

% it.has•'lon'u been a,,gi;ievance..df lobacconisra-•-in, this and other' centres, llidt, lyhitu.' ilioy • have to ( closo'their' shops';at 8 pin.,, the hotels. : Jiii'd . lviiropean; aiid. Chinese ; fruiterers." vi.iid' small feuesm'en, sell the fragrant Weed lo'iig', after that hour.' The''local trade; has'risen'; in revolt against this. state 'of things, and' .. about twenty' fqbaeeoiiist.v foregathered last ' evening, to '.'(■( insider, remedies. ." ~' ,' Mr. B. W. Arinit, who was voted. tb ,'the r chiiiis said that to .suppress the Chinanian.. was the principal .object of the. meeting;.'.'lie, thought that'' if- th'e GoveVmnent'' passed! "an' Act making tbo selling of tobacco ,de'peiid£nV oil a license, Chihaiiicn and others Wh'p wisliiid'' to soil it would have to observe the ssiinjohours as tobacconists. . , .'.,■',,;• )■-■,' Mr.' Cii'iuuroh', secretary t° the, nhti-Chincso' League, who was present for a few minutes by invitation, said-that ho had not the slightest doubt biit that some Chinese -kept open; allniglit and sold cijnircttes to. small boys, aiul oven girls, in direct contravention - to' the, Juvenile .Smoking Act. The Chinese ctfald not be brought in, line with any law. In a' very vfo'w years-,' unless they wore excluded, the' Chi'neso and Japanese wbiild monopolise' , all the trade's worth mbhopolisin'g in ICevr Zealand.; lie was strongly in favour of tho suggestion, to license tobacconists. The chairman said that he did hoi object Jo the Chinese selling tobacco, so lone as they did so on, equal terms with other, tVadesmen. , Mr.. J. Herman moved that a deputation should,bo' appointed, to approach the' Miiiistfer for Labour: with ii view to obtaining all amendment, of; the Shops , aiid Offices Act, which should. compel all sollbrs of tobacco to close their shops' at. 8i p.m., like tobacconists. Tho Minister, hail promised last scssioa th.it this should be done. [ . ~ ' Tlioj' .Chairman said that Jfr,. F. M.,8. FishoriM.lT.il., had told him that' the Minis-, tor. had n ■ Bill, framed to nieot. thoi'r wishes,' and that it might be put through this session. After i aiii. irregular discussion, tlio motion" ' was carried., . .; .. A motion that .the wholo, body present, with as ii'iany. .more tobacconists as would-cbine,' . should , v for in the',' deputation,. was withdrawn ■ aftef'disiiis'sio'h, and the,following weroelected.', for tho mission .—Messrs. Chrijibs&ri. Aldo'us BoriVi'an;. IT.Ouldswofth, Armit, 'Gilbert, Shakes Cohen; IT.- H.; Tuirmtti A. Tnrrior, 'and SeigcL. The ■ interview will take plac'o it half-pasii three o'clock, this afternoon:.. , Mr. Seigel irrged the adyisabloneiss of form, ing, n tbbafedonnists' association;'. Tobacco could bo bought from white tradesmen, as' w6)l- : ;as,, Chineso t at any ririio,.:from eight' "o'clock ..till midnight, iind also ."on. Sundays.- ' The Chairman named 'a city hotel whero . cherry, pipes and several sorts of tobacco could be bought bti.-.\Vcd:)'esilay afternoons.. ■Another member of ,the .gathering said' 'that. ; a certain 1 - suburban hotel sold ten thousand cipnrcftcs n. fnbn'th. '■'"".'-?-. _ ■ It was stated that 'tliir'ty-fnur members, of > th'e/ Legislature hiVd expressed their ■ pVrso'iiiil'" • sympathy with.- the, meeting's aims 'The question of the license system was held, .■.,-. ovoiv l