SALE OF TOBACCO.

Northern Advocate, 20 September 1921, Page 3

SALE OF TOBACCO.

REQUEST FOR AMENDING LEGIS

LATION.

Representatives of the Tobacconist>' Association, which held a conference in Wellington last week, waited upon the Acting-Minister of Labour (Hon. W. Downie Stewart) to ask for certain amendments in the Shops and Offices Act. They v-tatcd that they were concerned particularly with the sale of tobacco by fruiterers and others outside the hours within which tobacconists were -allowed fo do business. TMs form of competition was very unfair, and the deputation Risked that shopkeepers should not bo allowed to sell tobacco unless (hey were licensed. The penalties for breaches of the law ought to be made severe, and should include the withdrawal of licenses in the ease of traders who were convictod more than twice of 'selling' tobacco outside ihe fixed hours. The Minister promised to give full consideration to the matter. Ho pointed out that the Shop--- find Offices Act was already a very complicated measure, and tha". a regulation of the kind suggested was not a simple matter. Many retailers carried on several branches of trade, and so caused overlapping. He recognised the force of the arguments that had been presented by the tobacconists, and he would look into the matter with the object of -seeing if anything could be done to meet their case during the coming session of ; Parliament.