SMALL SHOPKEEPERS

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 135, 4 March 1929, Page 15

SMALL SHOPKEEPERS

A CHARGE DENIED The Secretary of the Labour Departinent. (Mr,«F, J. Rowley), on Saturday morning, emphatically denied the charge that the Department had opposed the relief measures recently sunetioned by Parliament, With regard to Closing hours for small shopkeepers. He Was referring to the report which had appeared in Saturday morning's issue of “The Dominion,” statiiig that small retailers had forwarded complaints to the secretary Of the New Zealand Small Shopkeepers’ Association on the subject, inid the executive of that organisation had been requested to make a further appeal to Parliament. Mr, RoWley denied that the officers of his Department had placed any obstacle in the way of shopkeepers exercising their privileges under the Act. "In the absence of particulars,” said Mr, Rowley, “it is difficult to answer.the complaint, except in general terms. Under the 1927 amend l ment, a shopkeeper in a part trade may apply to a Magistrate for exemption from closing nt the hOiir fixed, and if the exemption was granted, may be allowed to stock goods in another trade. No exemption can be obtained to enable shop* keepers to keep open on the Weekly haltholiday. Any aggrieved shopkeeper is at liberty to give particulars to the Labour Department, and the matter Will be looked into.”-