EARLY CLOSING A REPLY TO "SACKED."

Evening Post, Volume LXIX, Issue 122, 25 May 1905, Page 2

EARLY CLOSING A REPLY TO "SACKED."

TO THK BIHTOB. Sir, — Although I have r?ad and reread the ie-lter in your yesterday's Lssuo signed "Sacked," I am still uiKonviuced that thow is such an employer — n "good employer" your correspondent stylos him—or s\irh a "heart salesman" existing in Wellington, "hut if my judgment be at fault, and should "Sacked," tho head salesman, and also his subordinates, for it must be assumed that a head salesman has under salesmen, communicate- with mo in my capacity as SocreUity 1o the Shop Assistants' Association, I can assure them that the Committee, through its Freo Labour Bureau^ will strenuously endeavour to obtain ■Ihfin suitable bortlis, so roturniug good for ovil. From ite inauguration -this Association has determined upon a course of action that shall never iniuro employers, beginners or established, always bearing in mind that its members, or come of them, may oventiully bocomo shopkeepers themselves. They aim at obtaining uniform and early closing ; and, whatever may bo their political creeds, I hear from all members I am brought in contact with th.it tlwy apnreciato the present Government for affirming the. principle of early closing as contained in the provisions of "The Shops and Offices Act." To test th ; s question of early ■and uniform eloping. 1 Uavo called upon a majority of shop- i keepers in Wellington and il<> suburbs with a petition stating that tho undersigned shopkeepers are in favour of uniformity in tho hours of closing as provided for in provision 3 of the Act. So that there should be nothing misleading in the list, I imU'd provision 3, cut from ,i copy of the Act, .it the head of the petilioiu 1 shall show you, Sir, today, that this list already contains a nujority of the signatures of shopkeepers, big linns and littlo retailors, who consider early closing necessary to tho general welfare and health of themselves, their families, and assistants. Ovor and over again 1 hav-o been told that sales made by artificial light are seldom satisfactory, the goods mow often than not being brought back the next day for exchange or the money to bo returned. In my canvass for Mgnaturos 1 have interviewed many of tho "one man" or "one-woman" shops. Theirs is not an envious condition. Quite half of them art! keeping open only to pay the hndlord his rent; better for themselves if early closing dues "shut them up," for t'heii pecuniary position could not possibly tx> made worse. The other half may struggle on to prospentv. I sincerely lwpd they will, lull lienvv ris bills,' late hours, and injured healtli will not effect such a desirable object. In their case, v is truly <\ "survival of the fiHefct." Roturning again to the. complaints of "Sacked" (trusting that I am addressing a reality and not an anonymous slum) Jet mo 'toll him that ho ' should hold,

hitmvlf to blamo ajid not accuse others of bringing this misfortune upon him, for h.id he not joined this "good employer," who transacted the chief part of his business "after 6 p.m.," he, "Sacked," would not now be in such an evil plight. — I am, etc., WAI. HAMILTON, Secretary .Shop Assistants' Association. Wellington, 25th May.