CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 133, 3 December 1923, Page 8

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

OBSERVANCE OF LATE NIGHTS.

The interpretation by the Labour Department of the Shops and Offices Act in respect, to the late shopping hours observable by retailers during Christmas and New Year weeks was misconstrued in the explanation, published on Saturday. The effect of the sections of the Act relating to the holiday season the Department states, is to give certain concessions to shopkeepers. The late night which in Wellington and othor large towns must ordinarily be observed on Friday night may in Christmas week be moved to any of the six working days prior to Christmas Day, and the hours may he extended from 9 p.m. tp 10 p.m.; for example, the usual long night may be observed on Friday 21st December, and the long night that would be observed until 9 p.m. on Friday, 28th December, may be observed on Christmas Eve instead, until 10 p.m. The position in regard to the New Year season is the same as for Christmas. This change is subject to any provision that there may be to the contrary in any award or. industrial agreement under the Industrial conciliation and Arbitration Act In regard to the effect of closing on two whole days during Christmas week such as Christmas Day and Boxing Day, ply has been delayed from meeting to Tides that in such cases the ordinary half-holiday for the week (namely, on Saturday, 29th December) need" not be observed, in which case the closing hour T £ 6£ p-m- The- closin S °f sh °Ps for whole hohdays does not give- shopkeepers the right to any extra late nights They sannot in any event have more than the long nights referred to above