Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, MONDAY NOV. 18, 1901.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 9304, 18 November 1901, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, MONDAY NOV. 18, 1901.

SHOP HOURS. The legislation pussed m this colony restricting and regulating the hours of hibor of employes m shops and factories has come to be accepted by the community as a reasonable and proper thing, and the weekly half-holiday, despite the bud break that it makes m the business of the week, is everywhere acknowledged as a boon. The danger is m too great restriction of the hours of work, which, if carried beyond limits, must be detrimental to industries, and result m the cultivation of a spirit of idleness and thriftlessness amongst the people, and, to , judge by the proposed legislation of last session, the Government have been only too ready to accede to the request of the holidayloving workers for shorter hours. However, m its general principle, and administered reasonably, regulation of labor is a good thing, and if justification of New Zealand's experiments m this direction were needed, they are afforded m a ParLuinientary paper that has jusfc been issued m England. A Select Committee was set up by the House of Commons to inquire into the early closing of shops, and m their report they speak with no uncertain voice of the evils of long hours, and deplore the fact that there is "no general or sufficient sign of advancement." The Committee state:— "ln many places the hours during which shops are open range as high as 80 to 90 per week, m addition to which some time is occupied m clearing up, putting away the goods, and packing up articles purchased. Eighty-four hours per week of six days amount to 14 hours a day, aud it is almost self-evident that such long hours, especially when the shops are crowded, ill-veutiliited, and lighted by gas, must be injurious, and often ruinous to health, especially m the case of women." The Committee recommend "that town , councils should be authorised to pass provisional orders, making such regulations m respect to the closing of shops as may seem to them to be necessary for the areas under their jurisdiction ; and these provisional orders should be submitted to Parliament m the usual manner before acquiring the (force of law. Special enactments for restraining the outlay involved, and applying for its discharge, may be necessary." Many of the witnesses examined by the Committee produce startling evidences as to the hours of work and the conditions of shop life. The secretary of the Northern Union of Shop Assistants stated that "the hours of labor m London are from 75 to 80 hours a week. At least, the majority of assistants m London work those hours." Asked if there are not a great number who work from 80 to 90 he said, "Yes, but we have no desire to exaggerate, and it might appear' like exaggeration to say that. But there are many that work 90, and even as many as 100 hours a week." The Committee further report: — "We took a census of the hours m 198 shops (provincial shops), and from these returns we find that of the 198 shops employing some thousands of assistants there were 495 assistants working for 48 and ufider 60 hours a week ; 1030 60 and under 65 hours ; 1841 65 and under -70 hours; 2068 70 and under 75 hours; 132 75 and under 85 hours; two 85 hours and upwards." The evils of living-in received abundant testimony. Thousands of shop assistants, it is clear, do not get a proper meal during six days of the week. They are liable .to be called away from the table to serve customers. The food is insufficient and badly cooked and served m the majority of cases. One of • the medical men examined stated: "I have found that assistants generally suifered from varicose veins and general weakness, and iv one particular shop I was informed by the manuger that each of the six assistants employed therein had varicose veins as the result of long standing." Another, asked — Do the shop assistants generally go on to become shopkeepers themselves, or what happens to them m after life, generally speaking? replied: "The welldeveloped, mentally aud physically, would undoubtedly become traders' themselves, but m the majority of iustances they drift into other occupations, and it is very difficult to trace them m after life." Sir William MacCormuc told the CommiV tee that tubercle and rickets are caused to a very great extent amongst shop assistants by their conditions of life and labor. , :