SHOPS AND OFFICES ACT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12910, 5 July 1905, Page 6

SHOPS AND OFFICES ACT.

MEETING OF WAREHOUSE EMPLOYEES.

THEIR VIEWS UPON THE ACT.

WISH FOR EXEMPTION.

A largely-attended meeting of the office and enteringroom employees of the Auckland: warehouses was held at the Commercial Travellers' Club yesterday afternoon, for the purpose of considering what action should! be taken in regard to the Shops and Offices Act now before the Lalbour Bills Committee at Wellington. Mr. W. R. Goudie was elected to the chair. The Chairman said that what they wanted was to resume their old relations with their employers. They did not want their holidays knocked off, or the stoppage of their sick pay. And, in addition to that, they did not want to start at eight o'clock in the morning and knock off at six, as they might have to do under the Act. He would call upon Mr. Squirrell, as convener, to address the meeting. Mr. G. Squirrell, in complying, pointed out that until last year the warehouse employees had always managed to get themselves exempted from any Shops and Offices Act that had been brought forward. When they found last year that an Act was being passed so as to include them they immediately communicated with Mr. Baume to get a clause inserted excluding them, and appointed delegates to proceed to Wellington to give evidence before the Labour Bills Committee on their behalf. These delegates, however, had arrived too late, and when Mr. Baume's motion was put to the House it was lost by one vote. When a motion to a similar effect was moved' in the Upper House that also was lost by one vote. The interpretation of the word " office " was so wide that it included every man who worked in a warehouse. The Government, however, since the passing of the Act had done very little to enforce it. All that had been done was to instruct the various warehousemen to keep an account of the overtime which was worked by their employees, but he doubted whether this had been done. . If they did not get the Act amended now, they would probably have it enforced more vigorously ill the future. In view of tllat, lie had communicated with the Auckland members at Wellington, and also with the Southern people, with the object of getting them to co-operate in securing an exemption. He had received a reply from them that it would be much better to arrange to give evidence before the Labour Bills Committee, as there was bound l to be some evidence from the South in opposition, to their proposal. It appeared, Mr. Baume said, that the treatment meted out to warehouse employees in the South was not upon the same level as in Auckland. Therefore, as the Labour Bills Committee concluded taking evidence on Friday next, it behoved them to act promptly, and to send delegates to Wellington to give evidence upon their behalf. By doing so, he thought they would be able to get what they wanted. To set matters right, lie would move, "That this meeting of office and: entering employees of Auckland warehouses protest against 'being included in the provisions of the Shops and Offices Act. and to respectfully ask the Labour Bills Committee of the House of Representatives to amend the interpretation of the word 'office' by the addition of the word "warehouse" in the exemption clause, thus making the entire warehouse staffs exempt from the provisions of the Act."

The motion was carried unanimously. It was also decided to telegraph the resolution of the Labour Bills Committee.

Mr. Squirrell said that he had been .advised that morning that if anyone wanted relief from the Act. what they had .to do was to give evidence before the Labour Bills Committee, or else ( the matter would go by. default. 1 It was then resolved to appoint Messrs. G. Squirrell and W. M. Chapman as delegates to proceed to Wellington to give evidence before the Labour Bills Committee. Mr. Squirrell said that while he knew that the Wellington warehouse employees would co-operate with them in endeavouring to get the desired amendment, the Dunedin and Christchurch people would probably do so, too. The Duned'in and Christchurch people were waiting for Auckland to act in the matter.

ACTION BY RETAIL CONFECTIONERS.

, A meeting of retail confectioners was held in St. James' Hall, Wellington-street, last evening, Mr. C. Brown in the chair. The business was the appointment of delegates to give evidence before the Labour Bills Committee at Wellington, "touching the interferences of the Shops and Offices Act with the trade," and after discussion, in the course of which clause 3 of the Act was roundly condemned, it was decided that Messrs. C. Carter (hon. secretary for the Confectioners' Association), and C. G. Laurie, should be the representatives. They leave for Wellington to-day by the s.s.'Ngapuhi. Mr. Carter reported that in reply to telegrams sent to Messrs. Massey and Baume, M.H.R.'s, and Mr. Arnold, chairman of the Labour Bills Committee, he had received intimation that the evidence of the trade delegates would be taken on Friday next.

THE COMMITTEE'S PROGRAMME. [BY telegraph— press association.]

Wellington, Tuesday. Mr. Arnold, chairman of the Labour Bills Committee of the House of Representatives, desires it to be known that the programme mapped out by the committee for taking evidence 011 the Shops and Offices Act, 1904, Amendment Bill, is as follows: —Wednesday, July 5, Auckland fruiterers, Wellington fruiterers, and confectioners; Thursday, July 6, Newtown shopkeepers* Friday, July 7, Auckland chemists, confectioners, and warehouse employees; Tuesday, July 11, Southland employers, Kawakawa shopkeepers, and Christchuroh butchers; Wednesday, July 12, Wellington shopkeepers, who are in favour of clause 3.

[by telegraph.— correspondent.]

Wellington, Tuesday. The taking of evidence on the Premier's Shops and Offices Act Amendment Bill is proving to be a much mora formidable task than wa.3 anticipated. The Labour Bills Committee has found it necessary to obtain the permission of the House to sit during afternoons and evenings, as well as the morning's. 'lhe evidence of a large number of Wellington witnesses was taken to-day. Some of the Auckland witnesses arrived in Wellington to-night, and others are expected in a day or two. Some witnesses are also coming from the Bay of islands, in order to give evidence as to the particular application of the early closing provision to their district. The chairman of the committee (Mr. Arnold) states that it will be quite impossible for the committee to complete the taking of evidence in the allotted space of a fortnight, and that it will be necessary to ask for a week or a. fortnight's extension of time.

Mr. E. G. Allen lias given notice to ask the Premier whether he will insert a clause in the Bill providing for a universal Saturday half-holiday, or, failing that, will he revive the clause in the Shops and Offices Bill of last session which provided that the question of a universal Saturday half-holiday be submitted to the vote of the electors at the next general election.