GROCERS' SHOP HOURS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23055, 4 December 1936, Page 8

GROCERS' SHOP HOURS

ro THE EDITOR

Sir,—Permit me to express some thoughts on the grocery trade of to-day —and yesterday. I view the trade after well over a-quartcr of a century—say. over 35 years. I have always been, and still am, a grocer, in —may I say?—a leading store in Dunedin. If I am not perfectly correct in the hours worked "yesterday." then.l crave indulgence, as yesterday is a fair while ago—to me. , I would say at the outset that I personally agree heartily with the 40-hour week, believing it to be correct in every business aspecl The writer well remembers when we. as grocers, worked from early morning to 7 p.m. on week days and to 11

p.m. or thereabouts on Saturdays, and had to deliver groceries (flour, sugar, etc.), in a'horse delivery cart, and feed and bed one's horses after delivery. That was "yesterday." To-day there are well-equipped grocers' trade vans, and all one's goods are well protected from weather and from dust and dirt. It is a luxury job nowadays by comparison, and is well paid also. On finishing at 5.30. the vanman of to-day simply drives into the garage and "calls it a day"—good luck to him. Sir I was born too soon, not that I am grousing. I am a grocer, and proud of it, too, and still like my job after well over 35 years. The young grocers of to-day would not like to have been working "yesterday." when the writer received the princely sum of 5s per week. The lad of 15 to 16 starting to-day receives 17s 6d, of 16 to 17 23s 6d, of 17 to 18 355, of 18 to 19 455, of 19 to 20 555, of 20 to 21 70s. of 21 to 22, 85s, of 22 to 23 and over 955, and a senior man can command from 95s to 110 s and over, according to his ability and knowledge of his trade. No live employer of today will stint or hold a competent man back, It does not pay and is not good business to do so. May I say that our staff has been associated with our firm for many years,, , . The grocery trade of to-day is infinitely better in every way. It still needs good and intelligent assistants, with ability and courtesy. Yet I think our leaders of to-day, both union leaders and those in authority, should allow time—say, a quarter of an hour —for the salesman to balance up his cash for the day, and for others to lock up properly and to see that bins and all goods—bacon, cheese, etc.—are covered up properly. In the modern store there are expensive bacon, ham, and cheese cutters. These all should receive a few minutes' attention at the end of the day. The writer would himself like to be going out of the door as the clock strikes 5.30, but there are these various items to be attended to by someone, and why should it all be left to the head man—and the poor old boss, who, after all, has to concentrate all his energies of brain and body, just as much as, and more than, his assistants, first-class, loyal, courteous assistants though they are. Yet, Sir, my lawyer tells me that any inspector (who is well paid, I presume, and has a far easier and rosier time than any hard-working grocer, who has to be on the qui vive all day long) can demand entrance and have the owner or boss to court to be fined if his assistants are not off the premises as the clock strikes the hour. This, I say, is most harassing and liable to cause a nervous strain for fear of being taken to court and shown up as a bad employer. I grant you that the inspector is not to blame. But he can be too officious on the large, decent employer. And small shopkeepers, employing no labour whatsoever, can keep their premises open all and any hours. As the small grocer of to-day, if he knows his trade thoroughly, can buy well, why make fish of one and flesh of the other? After all, both are grocers, only working for a living. I maintain that the larger grocer of today needs all the trade he can get, what with shorter hours and higher rates of pay. In passing, may I ask, Has the boss an award, or does he just come in last'' Now remember I like the shorter hours, and personally I do not care a snap if any small, non-employ-ing grocer likes to work all night, as was done yesterday. I certainly do not. May I, in closing, make a suggestion with reference to the working hours for assistants? At present they are from 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on four days of the week.- from 8.45 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday (far too long), and from 8.15 to 12 noon on Saturday. I maintain that Saturday trading is necessary to the big buying public. Personally, I would like to see the hours from 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on four days of the week, from 8.45 to 6 p.m on Fridays, and the hours on Saturday left as they are, for the convenience of the public, the members of which would assist greatly and make the grocer's life much easier if they would shop early.—l am, etc., Just a Live Grocer.