THE CLOSING OF SHOPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9720, 16 January 1895, Page 4

THE CLOSING OF SHOPS.

The meeting yesterday, in reference to which day should be named by the conference of municipal bodies for compulsory closing, shows that there was a great difference of opinion on the subject, and that whatever day is resolved upon, cruel injustice will be done to some shopkeepers. We have several times referred to the absurd and tyrannical conduct of the Government in casting upon municipalities the duty of deciding on this question. The members of municipal bodies have no right to accept the odious position of being the means of ruining any set of business men. The first question the conference should consider is, whether they should accept the responsibility. Mr. Hannan, who is a Justice of the Peace, said that if Saturday were named as the holiday, he would take measures to enable him to keep open. He can no doubt easily do this, and so obtain a great advantage over others, in a precisely similar position, who are not in circumstances to evade the Act. He also said that if the councillors injured him by compelling him to close on Saturday he would take steps to remove them from their position. This is an open declaration of what we have apprehended, namely, that in future the election of a councillor will depend, not on the candidate's ability to discharge municipal duties, but on the day he would close the shops. Mr. Smeeton showed how the Act would be the means of injuring business and properties in several districts in the outskirts, where one side of a street was in a highway district and the other in a municipality. On one side of the street the shops may keep open on Saturday evenings, while on the other an inspector parades up and down to see that doors and shutters are strictly kept closed on pain of imprisoment. The Act, in many cases, presses on the weakest. Mr. Smeeton showed that if a tradesman died, and his widow had to hire an assistant, she would have to close at the best time for business, while her neighbours could keep open under one clause in the Act. Mr. Shakespear spoke what seemed to i be the general opinion, that this was a very bad time indeed to interfere with business, and that there was really no need for such legislation in New Zealand. We are quite sure that the Municipal Conference would best consult their own interest by declining to have anything to do with the working of an Act which is so obnoxious and contradictory, and that the Ministers would best consult their interests by allowing it to remain a dead-letter.