SHOP HOURS BILL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2675, 21 June 1905, Page 37

SHOP HOURS BILL.

Shorn of all side issues, there is a large public opinion in favour of reasonable hours for those who have to work for their living in the shops in our colony.—(Applause.) Experience has shown that the weekly half-holiday, which was believed by many before it was legislatively provided for would prove injurious to trade, has had no such ©fleet, and if a proposal were now made to repeal that statute you would find amongst the strongest opponents of such a repeal proprietors and employers who share with their employees the advantages of a «rest from the occupations for at least half a day during the week. And so with all the agitation that has gone on with the closing hour for shops. It will be found that when some of the' anomalies that exist in the present bill, which now provides for reasonable hours, have been removed that there will follow quickly in the wake of such legislation a similar feeling lo that which now exists in regard to the weekly ialf-holiday. A mistake has been made in the act as it now stands on the Statute Book, and there is nothing to be gained by bickerings as to who is responsible for the mistake — every member of Parliament should accept his full responsibility, and candidly admit that a mistake has been made for which Parliament itself is responsible.—(Applause.) What requires to be done during the coming session is to eliminate from the bill the cause of the trouble and to arrive at a reasonable hour for closing both on week days and on Saturdays, doing justice alike to the shopkeeper and the employee, and if the public, upon whom the sucress of the effort to provide reasonable hours for shop employees, will conform to the altered conditions as readily as they have done to the half-holiday, I am of opinion that the takings in the shops will be found to be not less than under the old system, while a measure of comfort and happiness will be extended that will be very great indeed.— (Applause-.)