ILLICIT TRADING

Evening Star, Issue 19617, 25 July 1927, Page 2

ILLICIT TRADING

PROTEST BY TOBACCONISTS u Illicit and grossly unfair trading:’’ was how a local tobacconist •described the sale after hours and on Sundays of cigarettes and tobacco. ‘‘You will receive more protection in the new Shops and Offices Act than any license could give you,” was said to be the reply of the Hon. G. J. Anderson to a deputation representative of tobacconists from Whangarei to Bluff) who were seeking legislation tor the sale of tobacco and cigarettes under license. “Judge of the consternation of tobacconists throughout tnc dominion when the provisions of the new Shops and Offices Act became public, continued our informant. It was discovered that what the Minister called protection from illicit trading consisted of a notice to be posted m shops to •which closing restrictions do not apply setting out the hours during which the sale of tobacco is prohibited. Moreover, the proposed new Bill gives a magistrate power to grant exemption from the prohibition against the sale or tobacco and cigarettes. “Dunedin tobacconists are strongly of opinion that the convenience of the public is well met by them, as tobacco and cigarettes may be purchased from them during the following hours Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, 7 a.m. to 6.15 p.m.; Wednesdays, 7 a.m. to 915 P-nt. ; Fridays and Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 11 P-m. Every tobacconist ia not open during these hours, but the smokitig public may purchase its requirements from some tobacconist during the hours given. There should be no necessity for any trading alter these k°“ln Dunedin and suburbs there are' roughly, 120 legitimate tobacconists and grocers, yet there are oyer 500 retailers stocking tobacco and cigarettes. Thus about 400 shops which have no restrictions of hours stockjtobaccoj

human fog a retailer to sell any goods in stock at any time the shop is open. That is the illicit after-hour trading from which the legitimate tobacconist seeks relief. The illicit trading is not confined to after hours, os it is a wellknown fact that in every centre in New Zealand tobaccos are easily procurable on a Sunday. “There is only one effective way of stopping this illicit and grossly unfair trading. That is by laying down by statute that every shop stocking cigarettes and tobacco should close during the hours the legitimate tobacconist has to close. After the Minister’s utterance that is what the dominion tobacconists expected to see embodied in the Act. What is proposed is farcical and of no benefit whatever.”