THE SHOPS BILL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10176, 10 October 1894, Page 3

THE SHOPS BILL.

. ' TO THK nbITOK. Sm,—The Shop Assistants Bill seems tt) bo in a bad way as regards its chances of b^cominir law this session of Parliament, snd of conr-.e there f.re reasons why aud wherefore. Tae»e may be truthfully stated as the contemptible selfishness of the shop assistants regarding their own interests, and their indifferencr regarding tho interests of their employers and others.

By the work of thoir own leaders, together with the assistance of the press, the labour organisations, and the general public, they have got the half-holiday, and now they own no ennnection with tho labour organisations (to whem, by the way, they are in debt for affiliation fees), And as regards their employers' iutcrest they opine it is no business of theirs —let them fight matters out amongst theiEselves. ' Probably the final result will not be either to the profit or liking of the sfsistauts. Take for instance a firm employing 50 or more hands—thero are several such in Dunedin—who, to give their assistants lho halfholiday, have been closing their establishmenlr. one afternoon each week, pending the pasting of the bill, thereby entailing t_ loss of nearly a month's business during the year because other establishments remain open whilst they ai-e closed. Now if the bill were passed tbis lorn would be prevented ; but if it does not tben their employers most needs protect tbev_sslves by reopening, giving their assialanty the half-holiday in squads, employing mcrk; hands to ensure a foil working staff upon £11 occasions, and reducing wages to keep their paysheets at the 'present limit. It is tiro possible the inconvenience arising from giving the half-holiday in squads will ultimately result in its repeil. The shop assistants' programme was universal closiog; but having got the half-holiday they are content to let the,press, city councillor,*, tbe labour organisations, or their employers do the remainder of the necessary work—even to the payment of their debts incurred in obtaining the half-holiday they noty enjoy ; —and the House aware of these facts cannot be expected to have much heait or interest in the Shops Bill, which is consequently being mauled by its old enemies, aud will probably be strangled outright. Had the shop assistant's been honest in their employers' interests nnd worked to protect them tbe bill would have been passed with but slight, if an.,'amendment.

If made universal by closing of shops the half-holiday would be a benefit tn all and loss to none, and the fact that Auokland, tho city of the colony wbich owing to the nature of it-, climate has always been notorious for evening and late shopping, has presented to Parliament a petition signed by a substantial majority of its large and small retailers to pass tbe bill even ta tbe inclusion Of the Saturday halfholiday, is strong evidence in its favour, especially as a Thursday half-holiday was some year 3 ago universally observed there by ail classes of traders until broken up by tho'action of tiro firms, because there was then no act in existence to protect the general interests against their action. Had the observance of the half-holiday been detrimental to tho interests of the shopkeepers they would not now be petitioning Parliament to pass the compulsory measure. There is no getting away from tho fact that the public approve of thn bill, and that the oppo.trinity of mangling it has been provided by tho shop , assistants, whose action iv the matter I hold to be contemptible. If anyone doubts my statements as to their feelings and actions towards those, who have; worked' far them let them look for the shop assistants in the Labour Day procession on (Wednesday next and see for themselves.—l am, ko,, October 6. Broomhandle.