THE COMPULSORY HALFHOLIDAY.

Evening Star, Issue 9470, 15 August 1894, Page 4

THE COMPULSORY HALFHOLIDAY.

[From Our Parliamentary Reporter.]

WELLINGTON, Auoust 15.

It was after the supper adjournment last night before the Shops and Shop Assistants Bill came under discussion in committee. The preliminary skirmish took place over the interpretation clause; Mr Hall wanting “vehicle, store, or other contrivance ” included in the definition of shops, and urging that otherwise butchers’ shops might be closed on the half-holiday and caits sent round the country delivering meat.—The Minister ok Lap.or appealed to the Committee not to overload the present Bill, and pointed out that the desire of the House was to stop hawking on the day set apart for the weekly half-holiday. A proviso to that effect could be inserted in the Hawkers and Pedlars Bill.--Mr Bell urged that it would be making a burlesque of it to include vehicles in a measure which aimed at the closing and inspection of shops.—The amendment was rejected by 35 to 22. Mr William Hutchison next moved to include hotel bars in the clause.—Sir R. Stout supported the proposal, while the Minister and the Premier opposed it.—-Mr Pirani pointed out that shops holding bottle, licenses would bo closed, and therefore he thought that bars should be in the same position.—Mr R. Thompson, though no Prohibitionist, and not one holding extreme temperance views, said he considered the effect of closing business places while leaving bars open would be to drive shop assistants into hotels for drink during their enforced idleness.—After a division was taken it was found that twentyseven members had voted in eacii lobby, and the Chairman, with a view to affording further consideration, gave his casting vote with the ayes, lo the intense delight of the temperance section of the House. The clause, as amended, was then passed.

There was considerable discussion over clause 3, which deals with exemptions.— Captain Russell was in favor of abolishing all exemptions, and urged that the Act would he more workable and cause less friction if Saturday were made the compulsory half-holiday throughout the colony.—The Hon. Mr Reeves wanted the exemption to apply to places whore businesses arc “exclusively” carried on. He explained that the object of the measure was to get at the Chinese, who, while professedly fruiterers, sold all kinds of goods. If the proposal for a cast-iron Saturday half-holiday, without exemptions, were adopted, the Government would not go on with the Bill.—(Sir R. Stout: “Why?”) Because it would be tyrannical, and the Government had pledged themselves not to agree to any proposal of the kind.—Captain Russeel regretted that the Minister saw anything tyrannical in his suggestion. His own conviction was that to endeavor to have a compulsory halfholiday, without exemptions, on Saturday, would bo a huge mistake. The Hawke’s Bay shop assistants and shopkeepers alike to a man preferred Saturday. —The Minister explained that if Auckland, for instance, adopted Saturday for the halfholiday provision coidd be made for allowing the butchers to close on Thursday.—Sir R. Stout pointed out that the provision in lust year’s Bill was for Saturday being the half-holiday, unless the local authority chose some other day. There had been a great development of public opinion since last year, and Christchurch, Auckland, Dunedin, and Wellington were now in favor of the Saturday closing,—The Hon. Mr Reeves said that the principle was exactly the same as last year, where, though Saturday was mentioned, a subsequent clause left the choice of the half-holiday to the local body. He wished to guard against the misappre. hension of last session, when he was charged with trying to ram Saturday down people’s throats as a cast-iron half - holiday.— Mr Kahnsiiaw said that if the Bill had gone before the Rabor Bills Committee and had been threshed out there there would not have been this time wasted in committee. He would more gladly have supported the Bill had the Saturday been retained.— “ You do not support me in anything,” was the M] sister’s rejoinder. —On the Min istrh’s motion the clause was altered by 42 to 7 to read: “ All shops in a city, borough, or town district, except those wherein is carried on exclusively the business of a fishmonger, a fruiterer, a confectioner, a coffeehouse keeper, or an eating-house keeper, shall be closed in each week on the afternoon of one working day at the hour of one o’clock.”—Mr Hall-Jones, in moving that all exemptions bo abolished, claimed the votes of all those who had supported the shutting up of hotel bars.—The Hon. Mr Reeves replied that if all shops were to be closed, without exception, on the day which was to be observed as a half-holiday the fate of the measure would be jeopardised in the Council.—Mr Hall-JOnes’s motion to strike out “ a fishmonger, a fruiterer, or a confectioner ” from the list of exemptions was negatived by 43 to 9.— McAllen next made an ineffectual attempt to have poulterers included in the list of exemptions, and a proposal by Mr Maslin to include tobacconists and hairdressers in the exemptions also quickly received the happy despatch.—Mr Dutiiie said ho was satisfied that Saturday was the most suitable day for the half-holiday, and moved to strike out “one working day ” with a view of inserting “Saturday.” A town v. country dispute was thereupon raised, the town members supporting Saturday and the country members objecting thereto. —After considerable debate, the amendment for inserting Saturday was negatived by 40 to 11.—Mr Willis moved a proviso that when a general holiday takes place it shall not be compulsory on the part of shopkeepers to observe any half-holiday in that w'eek. —This is merely re-enacting the existing law, and it was agreed to.

Clauses 4 and 5 having passed, progress was reported, the House rising at 2 a.m.