RESTAURANT HOURS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23108, 6 February 1937, Page 12

RESTAURANT HOURS.

The law' must be-administered by a judge or a magistral (l aa he finds it. Even if it is a bad law--or a harsh law the Bench has hodption in the matter. .Nor has it any option if the law has an effect, that was not intended. There have .been various laws.in New Zealand that have been of that description. Those responsible for them, had not foreseen their possible consequences. In sortie cases laws have been allowed to, become simply a. dead letter. A law under which -the proprietor of a popular restaurant was prosecuted yesterday- is \or\,e iof a class that seems to have had t L '*• -('4 unexpected consequences. It' was designed to prevent the employment of female assistants in, restaurants after a certain hour at night, and public sentiment may be.said to be in full sympathy with a <law, thjat limits the number' of hours' for which women may be employed. But it can never have.been intended that restaurants should be closed at such an hour as would prevent theatregoers from visiting them for supper at the close of the entertainment attended by them;. Xet. that must be the effect of this law if it is strictly enforced, for .experience has proved that it is impossible for proprietors of restaurants to secure male assistants who would attend to their customers after the time at which the duties of female assistants must. end. It is impossible to hold!that the restaurantkeepers who meet the deriiarid for late suppers are not rendering ■ a service that is appreciated by the public for which they cater. Nor is this demand one that is, unreasonable. The law is, therefore, highly embarrassing to ' restaurateurs. It has placed them in such a difficult position that the proposal that they should make representations to the Minister of Labour on the subject should be acted upon by them. ,