SHOPS AND OFFICES.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 4 November 1904, Page 4

SHOPS AND OFFICES.

FURTHER DISCUSSION IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL During last night the Legislative Council further considered the Shops and Offices Bill in Committee, and made sonio material amendments. Progress was slow, and the halfway point was reached at midnight, when the Council adjourn, cd. A prolonged discussion ensued on b motion by the Hon. w . Bolt to amenof the definition of fishmonger" (stated in the Act to be 1 "a person whose business is to sell fish or shell fish") in the direction of making the sale of poultry constitute a man a fishmonger. "A butcher is a fishmonger even il he doe& not sell hsh, if this amendment is carried," said the Hon. G. Jones, and he proceeded to prove his point by show* ing that in some places butchers sell poultry, that the sale of poultry, under Mr. Bolt's proposal, would make a maa a fishmonger, and that therefore « butcher who sold a chicken would be » fishmonger. The point of the opponents of tho amendment was that as "fishmongers" were amongst the tradesmen who wer« not required to close their shops on any working days, the amendment would bring butchers within this exemptive provision. A division was taken on the hubject, and a tie resulted, the amendment being lost on the casting-vote of the Acting Chairman At clause 14 (exemptions in certaia cases from closing at the. prescribed time on the statutory closing day) thu Hon. H. Feldwick moved to exempt newsagents and newsvendors' shops foe the sale and delivery or sale of newspapers only. The amendment, after a long debate was lost by 12 votes to 10. During the negotiation of several subceeding clauses the recomendations of th» Labour Bills Committee that both shop and office assistants shall be oaid for any holiday granted at the request of tin Mayor, the chairman of local authority, were agreed to. Progress was reported, and the Cou»cil rose at midnight.