HOURS FOR SHOPS

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1946, Page 3

HOURS FOR SHOPS

discussion on articles STOCKED question of restriction (PA.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 2. V Efforts by interested parties to define what articles one trade should deal in without transgressing on the field of another type of business occupied the Arbitration Court until late to-day. . Objections were raised in one case to a provision of the agreement between master butchers and members of the Butchers’ Union which would have the effect of compelling grocers to observe butchers’ hours if they stocked small goods. In the second matter before the Court fruiterers and confectioners opposed a clause of the grocers’ award which would limit the articles which they might stock, or compel them to observe grocers’ hours. Grocers and Other Shops.

In pressing for the application of grocers’ hours to fruiterers and confectionery shops if _ they stocked cocoa, jellies, sugar, jam (other than home-made) and certain breakfast lines which could come under the heading of biscuits, Mr. R. M. Barker, secretary of the New Zealand Grocers’ Federation, said it was high time that articles to be stocked in a trade were defined. He looked to the Court to do it. Mr. W. J. Mountjoy, on behalf of chain stores,. agreed that the articles mentioned, apart from jellies and certain breakfast food, were grocers’ lines.

Appearing in opposition to the grocers’ proposals, Mr. J. Adams, of, Christchurch, secretary of the Canterbury Retail Fruiterers’ Associa- j tion, said plenty of fruiterers ini Canterbury had a licence for sugar to make home-made jam, as it was ■ realised that this' would enable them i to use fruit which might otherwise be wasted. He claimed that cocoa j was a confection, and that the break- I fast food named was a biscuit andi therefore came under the heading of confectionery. Mr. Adams claimed ■ that fruiterers had lost many of . their legitimate lines through avail- I able supplies being absorbed by grocers, and instanced nuts. No one, he said, would be more happy than fruiterers to have the lines of each trade defined. Further evidence is to be called to-morrow. A New Note.

A new note was introduced into the dispute as to whether grocers’ shops should be allowed to sell small goods without observing butchers’ hours when a witness, Mrs. Edna Fisher, of Kilbirnie, gave alternative evidence to that offered last Thursday by members of the Housewives’ Association. To Mr. Mountjoy, who represented the master butchers, the witness said she had been interim treasurer of the Housewives’ Association. She remained a member only a couple of months, “but it seemed a couple of years.” With dozens of other women she resigned from the association because she recognised that it was a political organisation. In grocers’ shops, contended Mrs. Fisher, things were not always as clean as possible. She did not consider that extending butchers’ hours would be any advantage, as- some women would want to do their shopping at 2 a.m. if the shops were open. The hearing will be continued to-mor-row.