HEAT IN SHOPS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 24009, 5 July 1941, Page 10

HEAT IN SHOPS

REQUIREMENT BY LAW

"LESS ROBUST" WORKERS

Relying on provisions of the Shops and Offices Act that have not in the - past received attention, the Labour D»>- | partment at Hamilton recently served | notice on country grocers requiring jj them to provide heating appliances for; the benefit of the assistants in their j shops. The Auckland Master Grocers' j Association wrote to the Minister of \ labour, the Hon. P. C. ebb. asking* that such requirements be waived until; ai'ter the war. The association expressed } surprise that the matter should be raised at a time like this, and drew ; attention to the extreme difficulty of getting electrical appliances or other heating equipment at the present tins<4 and also to the need for conserving electricity and coai. An answer has been received from the Minister in which he states he Cannot agree that the matter should be allowed to stand over, "particularly as the withdrawing of men for war service may necessitate tße employment of workers who are,, perhaps, not' so robust as the workers usually employed in such shops." The Minister adds an assurance that regard will be paid to the present shortage of electric power. An instance has been reported to the association of a man for whom a heater was procured in compliance with the regulation, refusing to use it. He took the view that if the shop was unnaturally heated he would contract a cold when he went outside