DRAPERS' LATE NIGHT

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 65, 19 March 1925, Page 9

DRAPERS' LATE NIGHT

CLOSING HOUR HIGHLY. UN-

SATISFACTORY

TERMS OF AWARD OBJECTED. TO.

' (BI TELEGRAPH.—PItESS' ASSOCIATION )

PALMERSTON N., 18tfi March.

The sixth annual conference; 'oi:! the New Zealand Federation of Drapers and Clothiers was cominvnced in Palmerston North to-day. Mr V. '(j.-'-Page^tit^ei-' lington (the president :;,b|:;'iUe j'f ederW; tion), was in the chair. ' Prior":to' start.-; ing business "delegates frojn'all'pkrts' of the Dominion were accorded ;a.fciyic' -reception. The conferencewilT. continue until Friday, and at the. conclusioV a motor tour oftfia district wl'iT'be-undSr-take'rC ". '".".'■•''" '■'■.;. •■'■--■ ............

■■..;.I.he.. annual, report regretted^ the withd^? w.al.?f OI)o or two districts from th* federation which,liowever, still continued to make steady progress, ahd%power and prestige had materially increased,during the last twelve months. The, dew Shop Assistants' Award, which came into operation on 14th April, 1924, had been • the cause of much friction and dissatisfaction. In it the Court seemed to hav c seized upon all the concessions granted by the large employers in the trade and imposed them_indiscriminately upon ■ all traders. The ~most: objectionable features of-.the award, jvhieh,had evoked the strongest resentment from members working under it, had been the limitation of hours on the. late night, and the substitution of age for experience in assessing'the rale of wages to be paid to juniors.. The, compulsory closing of shops at 8.30 p.m. on.the late shopping .night had' conferred a, negligible benefit on assistants, seriously inconvenienced the shopping public, and inflicted a grave _,and unescapable hardship on hundreds of traders, whose business was almost dependent on their takings on the late night. The-, position remained highly unsatisfactory. During the year the boot and shoe retailers had linked up. The main object desired in the scheme of co-operation with the Employers' Federation was the ultimate binding together of all classes of 'em. plovers, and it was felt that many advantages would accrue to the federation from the scheme of co-operation with the employers' associations in various parts of the Dominion.

The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows:-^President, Mr. P. White (New Plymouth); vicepresident, Mr. P. Halsted (Duhedin); chairman of the Advisory Board, Mr. W. Sipm (Wellington); auditor, Mr. W. E. Nicholls (Palmerston North). Throughout the year, it was stated, considerable work had been.done in cooperation with the head office of the Customs Department in " settling .disputes which had occurred' over local decisions, on the Customs tariff. The perennial grievance of retail. trading by wholesale retailers ,in ■ all .■/parts of the country had been before 'the Advisory Board on several occasions. \ The Wholesale Warehousemen's Association had expressed its entire sympathy' with the effort which the federation was making: to curb the evil. .-■ ..'.!. .'"■'■

A dinner was held by the local association this evening. . '.''; "'v;;--;■