Political Gossip.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XIX, Issue 6047, 12 September 1894, Page 3

Political Gossip.

(by telegraph.) (FROM OTIR OWS CORRESPONDENT.) "Weltjkgton, September 12. A number of important alterations have been made by the Labor Bills Committee of the Council in the Shop and Shop Assistants Bill. It was resolved today to strike out the clause empowering local bodies to vary the date of the haltholiday. As the Bill now stands the day once fixed must remain so for 12 months. A new provision has been added, giving shopkeepers the option of closing on Saturday afternoon, instead of the day fixed by the local authority, provided they give notice of their intention to the inspector. . Mr G. J. Smith, in asking a question re**arding the Sydenham petition on clause 21° remarked that the Petitions Committee had made no recommendation on the subject. The Premier said ifc was impossible for him at this stage to state whether a date would be fixed to debate the question in the House. The matter was not closed, as the Government had power to consider it, and if it was found that by any inadvertence a wrong had been done, the Goverment should rectify it. (Hear, hear.) He promised that the Government would consider the matter, and he would communicate the decision to Mr Smith. Mr Smith asked if he could thereafter bring the- matter before the House, to which the Premier-replied that he might a question on the snbjeofe every day.