AFTER HOURS' TRADING

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 22, 26 July 1927, Page 10

AFTER HOURS' TRADING

SALE OF TOBACCO

'CRITICISM OF NEW BILL

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post")

DUNEDIN, This Day. The sale of cigarettes and tobaece after, hours and on Sunday."' was det scribed as illicit and unfair trading by a tobacconist yesterday. ; "You will receive more protection' in the new Shops and Offices Act thai) any license could give you," was saia to have been the reply of the Hon. Gj J. Anderson to a deputation represent tative of the tobacconists from Whan! garei to Bluff who were seeking legist lation for the sale of tobacco and cigf arettes under license. j

Judge the consternation of thj tobacconists throughout the Dominioi when the provisions of .the New Shop; and Offices Bill became public," con tinued the tobacconist. "It was dis - covered that what the Minister callec protection from illicit trading consist ed of a notice to be posted. in shops to which the closing restrictions do no] apply setting out the hours during, which the sale of tobacco is prohibited! Moreover, the proposed new Bill give! a Magistrate power to grant exemptio^ from the prohibition against the sale ov tobacco and cigarettes. In Dunedir and suburbs there are roughly 120 legi tiinate tobacconists and grocers, ye'there are over 500 retailers stockinj tobacco and cigarettes. Thus • then were about 400 shops which have no re; : strictions of hours to stock tobacco. lis only human for a retailer to sell anj 1 ' goods in stock at any time the ehoi is open. That is the illicit after honi trading from which the legitimate to 1 bacconist seeks relief. Elicit trading is" not confined to after hours, as it w j well-known fact that in every centr< in New Zealand tobaccos are easih 1 procurable on Sunday. There is onh one effective way of stopping this' Uli cit and grossly unfair trading, and tha; is by laying it down by statute thievery shop stocking cigarettes and to 1 bacco should close during the hours thi legitmiate tobacconist has to close' After theJMinister's utterance that il--what the Dominion tobacconists expect ed to see embodied in the Act Whal fitPr°h°t ed " farckalj and of no bra{"