CHEMISTS' SHOPS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 139, 16 June 1927, Page 12

CHEMISTS' SHOPS

TRADING HOURS

OPENING ON SUNDAY

REQUEST TO MINISTER

A request for the extension of the requisition system to Sundays so far as the business of chemists' shops is concerned was made to. the Minister of Labour (the Hon. G. J. Anderson) today by a deputation from the Chemists' Defence Association of New Zealand.

The chairman of the association (Mr. J. C. Burbery) said that for sonic years the association had asked • that ■ section 17 of the Police Offenders' Act, dealing with Sunday trading, should'be transferred to the Shops and Offices Act, and they now urged that that should bo effected in the amendments, to the Act which it was proposed to introduce in the coming session. At. present the law allowed a chemist to remain open all day, if ho..- so chose. This led to undue competition in country towns, where there might be only two chemists who remained open all day 'on Sunday. It was suggested that the same power of requisition should be given in regard to Sunday trading as was given: concerning other days 0/ the week. The association strongly objected to any alteration in the requisition, clause regarding closing hours. The chemists had always had special privileges, on ac r count of the peculiar; nature of their business, and the necessary machinery was provided for the public to obtain its prescription-needs when;.the shops were closed. In : towns'.•• where there were only two or three .chemists, the right could be given - to reopen, say, for an hour in the morning and an hour in. the evening for dispensing.NO EXEMPTIONS.Mr. F. Castle saul they understood the Employers' Federation had suggested that the requisition system should be clone away. with. The system had worked with a fair amount of satisfaction to chemists.: It enabled- the majority to regulate the closing.conditions for the six working days of the week, and they.''wanted that provision extended to apply also to Sundays. Sun^ day trading was no* watched very carefully by the police, and it was customary in some cases for shops to open as long as-they could. The association did not think the public convenience required chemists to onen for very long on.Sunday, and if they had the power of requisition so far as Sunday was concerned it would be a great convenience to them, and there would be no injury to the public. He submitted that if the Government granted exemptions to small shopkeepers, the chemists would be affected considerab" , and their present method of closing by re-q-?.sition would be entirely undermined. The G /em; -it should pause before granting exemptions to any particular class of business people, except, perhaps, refreshment and sweets purveyors. Otherwise a host of difficulties would arise. '

The Minister: "Do you want all exemptions cut out, and to have 'open slather? as in the old days?" Mr. Castle: "That is what it amounts to." He added that he hoped the Minister would not establish a zone system, which seemed quite impracticable.; Hardships would be created by the disturbance of existing business conditions, in addition to .which there was the difficulty of fixing the zones:; l. A RETROGRADE STEP. ■ Mr. <T. Castle condemned tho proposed legislation as a retrograde step, undoing the good work the association had done in the past thirty years for the benefit of the profession. The' Minister said he would i<ot discuss the terms of his Bill, which everyone seemed to know all about. As a matter of fact, it had been only partly drafted. Some of its contents he 1 thought no one would object to.. There were other more contentious matters, and he would bo criticised whatever he did. He wanted to do the best in the interests of the people of the 1 Dominion, and he did not expect to please everybody. When the Bill was drafted he would send the association a copy, and they could then give evidence before tho Labour Bills Committee. "Making up a Bill is not as easy as making up prescriptions," he assured them. - ■■