SHOP HOURS BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8630, 28 July 1891, Page 6

SHOP HOURS BILL.

AN ANOMALY.

The question of the effecb of the Shop Hours Bill, if made law, was brought before the Newton Borough Council last night, by a communication from Mr. T. McMaster, in which he drew attention to the fact that, if the Bill passed in its present form, a serious deterioration would take place in the value of business properties in the borough. To illustrate bis meaning he pointed out that while shops in the Archhill Road Board (road boards being exempted under the .Act) could keep open during all hours, shops in the Newton borough would be compelled to close ut a fixed early hour. On one side of one of the streets the shops would be free from the working of the Act, and on the other compulsory closing would be enforced. Tho Mayor (Mr. S. (J. Brown) certainly thought that the matter required careful consideration. For himself, he thought that the Bill was a specimen of tneddle3ome and interfering legislation. However, considering the strength of the labour vote in the House, be believed it would be carried. Parliament would soon be legislating as to what they were to cat and drink. He thought that the attention of their representatives should be drawn to tho anomaly which would result from not classifying boroughs along with road boards in the proposed Bill. He was net, however, sure that road boards did not come under the provisions of the Act; but if the Act in its present form excluded road boards, it should certainly be amended so as to be made to include them. It was absurd to compel shops on one side of the street to bo closed at a certain hour, while those on the other side could bo opened all hours of tho night. He would move, "That the Premier, Mr. Ballanoe, be informed that as the proposed Shop Hours' Bill does not apparently apply to road boards, property in boroughs adjoining such road boards would materially suffer in value." The motion was carried.