GROCERS' REQUISITION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7852, 14 July 1911, Page 9

GROCERS' REQUISITION

CONSIDERED BY CITY COUNCIL. TO GO TO LABOUR DEPARTMENT. The by-laws committee reported to tho City Council last night that the petition .asking that the general closing hours for all shops selling groceries should be G p.m. was signed by a majority of the European sellers, but it was not signed by a majority of 'sellers of groceries it Chinese wore included. The committee recommended that tho particulars be forwarded to the Department of Labour for its information aud advice prior to the seal of the council being affixed to the requisition. Councilor Frost, chairman of the committee, explained that 90 petitioners sign, ed in favour and 49 against. 1 'The number of Chinese against the petition were 62, but they were advised by the city solicitor that Chinamen had no vote. ■ Councillor Fletcher: You desire to throw tho onus on the Labour Department?

The Acting Mayor: Yes. Councillor Fletcher objected to the matter being referred, to the Labour Department for advice. He moved that the recommendation bo referred back to the committee.

Councillor Atkinson said the only advice needed was on the point of law. The department was already arrogating to itself far more power than was wholesome.

Councillor McLaren said a majority of the shopkeepers had signed tho requisition. Let tho council affix its seal, and tho Minister of Labour could then administer the law as ho saw fit. Councillor HincSnarsh held that if the requisition were given effect to white men must close and Chinamen could keep open. That was an extraordinary anomaly. Tho object of the committee was to bring under the notice of the Government the absurdity of the legislation. Tho city solicitor, Mr- O’Shea, in reply to a question, said the whole question resolved itself into "Is a seller of groceries a ‘trade’?’’ This did not, however, affect the council, because it had to certify that the petitioners were a majority of occupiers within tho meaning of section 25 of tho Shops and Offices Act, 1908. If this was held to bo a

"trade” by the court every person within that trade would have to close, but then there was also a provision in the same Act dealing with tho sale of tobacco and cigars. That would not apply to Chinamen, because they wore not "occupiers’’ within the meaning of the section. He advised tho council to affix its seal and lot the requisition go on. Councillor Cohen sand it seemed that tho conditions of closing would not apply to tho Chinese traders at all. The Minister had clearly stated that tho requisition would be gazetted if it was signed by a majority in the trade. After further discussion and an amendment by Councillor McLaren, which was defeated, “that tho seal of the council ho affixed and tho requisition forwarded to the Minister of Labour,” it was decided to pass tho committee’s recommendation with the exclusion of all the words after the words "Department of Labour.” Councillor Fletcher withdrew his amendment to allow this to be done.

The effect is that the requisition, without tho council’s seal affixed, will bo forwarded to the Minister -of Labour, together with the particulars as to tho number signing tho petition. . Tho department will not bo asked for advice on tho matter.