THE SHOPS AND OFFICES ACT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIII, Issue 13715, 4 April 1905, Page 4

THE SHOPS AND OFFICES ACT.

No serious fault has been found with the Government for holding its hand in regard to the Shops and Offices Act pending the decision of the Full Court in the test case, but now that jthe judgment has been , delivered it cannot decently allow the Act to be ignored. The shopkeepers have been treated very fairly, and it is their own fault if they are not prepared for the enforcement of the Act. Wo know that there ,will be some difficulties, be* cause the measure was passed through Parliament in haste, and members certainly did not realise the full effect, of the amendments they were adopting. Clearly the first duty of Parliament in the coming session will be to make the necessary exceptions, but the small shopkeeper must not suppose that the whole measure is to be abandoned or that the principle of general closing is to be dropped. The Premier has hinted that ho will accept an extension of the closing hour to meet the case of the suburban shopkeeper and that the disabilities imposed oil butchers and fruiterers will be remedied, so that ho is evidently already prepared with the amendfnents. But it must be remembered that the Act has not yet been tested in operation, and if the Government adopts the obvious course now we shall have at least a couple of, months’ experience to go on. There is no longer any excuse for failing to bring the Act into force, though naturally it must bo administered with common sense. We take it that as soon as the test case is decided by the Magistrate in the terms of the Full Court’s judgment the Premier will make a statement of the position, but if the small shopkeepers are wise they will be prepared for tho enforcement of tho law.