EARLY CLOSING FOR GROCERS

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1180, 15 July 1911, Page 6

EARLY CLOSING FOR GROCERS

TTo 'tho Editor.]

' Sir,—A letter appears iii to-day's issue of The' Dominion over the signature of John Cameron, commenting on certain phases of tho above question, which wero reported in tbo "Evening Post's" issue of yesterday as having been brought under the notice of the Hon. J. A. Millar,Minister for Labour, by a deputation of what has been styled the small grocers. Mr. Cameron denies the statement that ho is tho representative of the larger grocers, in whose interests, then, has he taken round tho petition for early closing? Certainly not in the interests of the smaller shops, who depend, to a great extent, on business transacted after the hours which ho proposes to have adopted. Is he, then, doing it for the puro love of the thing? Mr. Cameron is not in the trade himself. Who, then, is he acting for, and why? Can ho deny the fact that some years ago, when fomenting an anti-Chineso agitation, he collectal subscriptions to enable him to carry it on? I hold a receipt for an amount ho collected from me on that occasiou.

This disinterested gentleman further wishes to pose as the true friend of the smaller man by stating that tho hours proposed nre a conccssion by the bigger grocers. Ho shows thereby his ignorance of tho trade, as those hours are exactly those of the grocers' award, and under which they now work,, and aro compelled to carry on their business.

Can Mr. Cameron deny the fact that he obtained the signatures of most, if not all, the smaller grocers whose names appear on his petition, by representing to them that if given efFect to the petition would have the effect of driving the Chinese out of the trade, and also stop the competition of small shops who depended, to a great extent, on business doije when the largest shops were" closed ? Those, at all events, were his representations to ma when asking me to sign it. Does this show that he is acting in tho interests of small grocers? As tho position now is, he is simply playing into tho hands of tho Chinese and the larger shopkeepers. As Mr. Millar pointed out to the deputation yesterday, tho Chinese were immune as far as early closing is concerned, as being styled greengrocers, instead of grocers.

Now that tlio true position is defined, and we have it on the authority of tho Hon. the Minister for Labour "that the position of the Chinese will not lie affected as far as fho selling of, groceries is concerned, will Mr. Cameron withdraw his petition, ami thus show Ms sincerity as far as tho obtaining of signatures is concerned? That many were led to sign it under misapprehension is proved by several signatures Laving already been withdrawn.—l am, etc.,

J. R. BARLEY.22 Conrtenay Place, July 13, 1911' [To tho Editor.] Sir,—ln answer to tho letter in this morning's Domix/on, ro deputation of the small shopkeepers lo tho Hon. Minister for Labour, ' ' I fail to seo how Mr. Cameron can say that any of Mr. Fisher's statements wero incorrect. As a matter of fact, Mr. Fisher used Mr. Cameron's own figures, viz.:—Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, G o'clock, and !) o'clock Saturdays. These aro tho times used by Mr. Cameron at tho deputation to tho City Council, Tuesday, July 1. Now lie wants to make out it was in o'clock on Saturdays. Why, then, did ho say 9 o'clock? I think this will prove that all the misleading that he speaks about was on his own side. Then, again, _ Mr. Cameron goes on to say: In his opinion, instead of favouring the big shops, it will have a distinctly opposite offect. "Why his opinion? lie is not a grocer, and. is not in a position to speak for tho small grocers. Then, further on, he says that the petition was signed bv ii majority of small shopkeepers. This is incorrect, and goes to prove that Mr. Cameron docs not know enough about the trade to be able to say who is a small grocer and who is a big grocer'. In conclusion I would liko to say, if tho big grocers had engineered their own petition, without the aid of anj paid agitation to look after their in'.ei* ests, things would not have got into tho hopeless muddlo they are in.—l am, etc., A. BEAUC'UAMP. 142 Ingestro Street.

Tho Wellington Technical School resumes classes on Monday next after the winter vacation. Now arrangements have been made for tlm plumbing, mathematics, and mechanics' classes, as set forth in another column* •