HOURS OF SHOPS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23773, 28 September 1940, Page 12

HOURS OF SHOPS

COURT'S PROPOSED POWERS OBJECTION AT TE AROHA [FROM OUR oto correspondent] TE AROHA, Friday A lively discussion arose at the Te lAroha Borough Council meeting from a, letter from Mr. C.- A. Wilkinson, M.P., regarding proposed amendments to the Shops and Offices Act to be brought before Parliament this session. The circular pointed out that if this legislation became law the right to determine the day of the weekly halfholiday and the opening and closing hours for shops, as well as Saturday morning trading, would be in the hands of the Arbitration Court.

The Mayor, Mr. R. Coulter, said he doubted very much whether the question came within'the jurisdiction of the council. In his opinion the matter was not likely to be as serious as Mr. Wilkinson suggested. "You are an optimist, Mr. Mayor," said Mr. Kennedy, who also stated that he did not think the letter was submitted as a joke. He thought the Mayor should take a more serious view of it. The Government was asking for full production, and any alteration in the shopping hours would be detrimental to production.

Tbo Mayor: You are now talking politics. Mr. Kennedy: I have every right to speak on this, a very serious problem. Sir. Kennedy then moved that the council object'to the proposed legislation.

Mr. Clark, in seconding the motion, said it would be a very serious thing to alter the shopping hours of Fridays and Saturdays, as they seemed the most suitable days for farmers to do their shopping. Mr. Hamilton, in support of the motion, said it was a drastic step, and the Prime Minister should be asked not to bring forward this legislation. Mr. Coulter expressed the view that the business people were unnecessarily alarmed. The motion was carried.