SATURDAY CLOSING

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 47, 24 February 1945, Page 8

SATURDAY CLOSING

DRAPERS' OPPOSITION

The statement by the Minister of Labour (Mr. Webb) that he proposes to bring down next session an amendment to the Shops and Offices Act which would result in a five-day, 40----hour week for shop assistants, and, at the same time, mean the Saturday closing of shops, has caused the "New Zealand Draper" to give him a- warning editorially.

The Minister would be well advised to give more than passing thought to a question that has far more ramifications than appear on the surface, states that journal, and to consider whether the benefit he wishes to confer on one section of workers might .not have reactions detrimental to all other sections and to the public as a whole.

"It ,will be recalled that in 1941 Mr. Webb brought down a measure to restore the powers of the Arbitration Court to fix closing hours, powers that had been revoked in 1927," says the paper. "However, because of the war situation in 1941, also objections from certain quarters, particularly small country districts, the Minister decided not to proceed with his amending Bill. It was his intention, said Mr. Webb, to have it redrafted and circulated to organisations before introducing it next session.

. "For suburban shops Saturday morning is "the big day," and provisioning for the weekend, particularly in a large city, i s reflected in a rush de-' mand. This is, particularly so in present conditions, when meat rationing dictates an early descent upon the butcher in order to secure either choice cuts or a moderately wide choice of unrationed meats. The suburban butcher, as ihe handiest provider, is the obvious Mecca of the suburban housewife, and other retailers in suburban blocks share in the rush of trade that automatically develops. They would not, willingly, surrender the advantage thus' accruing." But it is pointed out that aside from that aspect of the question there is a much more important principle at stake—the consideration of public interest. With all the irritations now attendant upon trading, import restrictions, licences, bulk buying, price controls, rationing, staff shortages, and the short supply and sometimes indifferent quality of goods, the buying public was apt to become the least considered factor in trade, "instead of the most important as it should, and must, remain." "REGIMENTING HABIT." The journal pointed out that the regimenting habit was contagious: "Cursed on all sides with a multitude of controls, the household provider j must now, if this new measure becomes generally mandatory, do her buying in restricted hours on five days a week, if she can find time to do it at all. The New Order for some becomes the New Selfishness for the many." Worst affected of all by the proposed Saturday closing of shops would be those workers in factories whose hours coincided with those on .which the shops were open and who, by overtime, were prevented also from doing their buying on the Friday late night. Then, too, there were the out-of-town workers —timber mill workers, for instance—whose only chance to do any buying for themselves was on the Saturday. One of the commonest explanations for absenteeism and latecoming among female workers was the satisfying of shopping needs. "What the situation will be with a, five-day shopping week can easily be imagined," the journal comments. The mother with a young family was another who would find any further curtailment of shopping hours a hardship. "Many of them find Saturday morning their only opportunity to shop with any freedom of movement, as on that day their young children can be cared for either by a husband or by older children home from school. It is to be remembered that shopping is no easy business under war conditions."

It could also be argued that shop! assistants were equally deserving ofj consideration, and were equally limited in shopping opportunity. But when a person entered a certain calling he or she had to be prepared to accept] its disadvantages as well as its ad-' vantages. The work of shop assistants, it was pointed out, placed them in the centre of a shopping area, and they had a first-hand knowledge of what was offering in range, quality, and price. Consequently, their buying efficiency was increased very considerably. Those employed in large department stores certainly had .few worries in that regard. While New Zealand was well equipped with motor-cars and telephones, the country's percentage of refrigerators or ice-boxes was comparatively small. People were, therefore, poorly equipped to maintain food in their homes in good condition over any period of time. PROTEST BY WOMEN. The New Zealand Housewives' Association, which represents 6000 women in Auckland and suburbs, and also other organisations, has opposed the closing of city shops in Auckland on Saturday morning, and is against a similar closing of shops, as indicated by the Minister, in the suburbs.