THE SMALL SHOPKEEPERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4467, 21 September 1901, Page 7

THE SMALL SHOPKEEPERS.

OBJECTION TO CLOSING AT SIX O’CLOCK.

A deputation of small .'.hopkeepers carrying on business in Wellington in torviewed tho Promii-r yesterday to object to the proposal in the Shops and Offices Bill requiring such shops to ce closed at six o’clocx in the evening. Messrs Hutcheson, Atkinson and Fisher, members of the House, accompanied the deputation. Mr S. G. Ross spoke of the petition which had been presented to the Legislative Council on this subject, and urged that very scriou s injury woxild oe caused to small shop-keepers if they wore compelled to close at six o’clock. Speaking for himself, he would say that it would cause the closing up of his business. There were many women who' were dependent upon small shops for their livelihood. A law compelling these shops to close would cause serious injury to these and other shopkeepers who depended upon the evening trade for an existence. The deputation present ed a petition against the proposal signed by 935 persons. In answer .to the Premier, Mr Ross said that there were about 650 small shops which would be affected by the law.

Mr Seddon said that as the largo shopkeepers could not keep open after: six o’clock, he quite understood why they wanted the small, shops closed also at that hour. He wished to find out how many would be affected by the proposal, because the large shopkeepers alleged that a large number of the small men wanted to close early. In fact, he had been informed to that effect by some small shopkeepers, who said they wished to close at a given hour, but could not do so because others insisted on keeping open. Two methbers of the deputation who had canvassed for signatures to the petition against" the six o’clock law, stated that they had met very few who refused to sign. Mr Seddon said that, in the interests of "health, • he objected .to see shops kept open till ten op eleven, or even midnight, waiting for the straggling customer. Whilst six o’clock might be injurious, he would like to see the members of tho deputation agree upon some hour at which they should close. Nine o’clock was the hour suggested by ohe of the deputation, and this ap peared to be generally acceptable to the others who were, present. Mr Ross believed . that nine o’clock would suit admirably. They objected to six o’clock because it was too drastic, and they would lose many pounds thereby. Many people oould not shop before six o’clock, as they did not finish their, work- till that hour.

In reply to the Premier, who asked whether the members of the deputa tion were agreed upon nine o’clock on week niffhts and ten o’clock on Saturday night, Mr Oakes said he thought ten o’clock on Saturday nights too early. The Premier, in replying, said he felt satisfied' that tho Legislature would do nothing inimical to the interests of this small shopkeepers; or be in any way instrumental in depriving people of a livelihood. There were people, however, who went ■to extreme;: in all things, and there must ho legislation avainst such people, for if they kept onen till 11 o’clock ' they compelled others to do so. He did not believe that one ought to spend his life at business. To close all shops at six o’clock would suit the large shopkeepers ; and. as the world was going, large'shoos and largo companies wereyoim? to drive out individual effort. Ho did not know that this wm in the best interests of the eountw. Ho assured the deputation that the interests of the small shop keeper* would be considered.