REVIEW BY MINISTER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19025, 27 May 1936, Page 9

REVIEW BY MINISTER

SHOPS AND OFFICES BILL AMENDMENTS RROPOKED OPPOSITION < 'HITIU.ISM (For Press Association.) WELLINGTON. Inst night--111 the House of Representatives to night, the Mon. 11. fi’. Armstrong, Minister of Labour, moved the corn initial of llie Shops and (Hli.-es Amendment Mill. Me said, the hill wtts the third of the industrial measures and followed ihe Eactories Art and Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration .Vet. Sinco t ho hill hn«{ hoon reportoh hui'h from the Labour Bills (’em mitt op, tic had reeeived protests trout both sides, one wanting the bill retained and tat other thinking it went too far. Mr. Armstrong reviewed the clauses of the hill, and said it was not )’ 10 ‘ posed to allow overt i'liie when there was a large army of unemployed searching for jobs. Me said there was u priiut ico of so in o hirjjp* li rm s to phiuo juniors in ulinrip* ol hrunrlt shops and call them occupiers, but unless they were paid Lit in the ease of male workers and -L4 in the case of female workers, they would he classed as shop assistants and would come within llie scope ol the bill.

Regarding the wages of .juniors, Mr. Armstrong said a business that could not afford to pay ,L2 it week to a. youth with three years’ experience did not deserve to he in existence at all. he for ring to overtime payments. Mi. Armstrong said vigorous protests had been received that those receiving more than till lb a year would he made In Jo all the overtime work, and he proposed to aine a< 1 that provision when llie bill was in ruin 111 ill ee.

“WELL-MEANING IDEA LISTS A i-la use dealing with boardinghouses would also be amended in eoiii'init tee. At pres,nil the bill cover,.,l a boa fill aghou.-c employing not less than am per.-oa-- addiiional t- 1 the members of an occupier s laiaily aml with ;n In lion tor lb boarders. Alt amemliiieiii would be introduced to make li cover boardinghouses with live b,.aiders in order to bring within the scope o- the bill scores of ho:trdinghotme.s that would otherwise escape. Mr. S. G. Holland (Nat., Christclmreli NonlIt) said there were a number of excellent clauses in the bill. The Opposition agreed with the principle of a 44-liour week and an overtime rate of Is (id. But the more one saw of the Government's legislation the more was out* convinced that the Government was a team ot well-meaning idealists who were drunk with the power for which they had thirsted tor mil it v ve,tirs.

There was a great feeling ol: unrest ami uneasiness in the commercial .•(immunity regarding the Government's proposals, continued Mr. Holland, and that was shown by the reoresentations being made to members Mid the (toventintml. Me urged the .Minister in revise the provision of a meal hour after -I! hoar.-’ work, it. i e i oat ended iha t non Id prove a i most unworkable in shops. “RILING ON THE At ION Y ’ ’ Mr. t'. A. Wilkinson (lad., Egmnnt) thought it was time tile conditions in shops and offices were made easier. lie emphasised that country people required shops to be open on Soi unlays, and was glad to see that country people would be given an opportunity to shop mi Sat tirdays. lie mentioned that hotels were allowed to be open iniii-li longer than simp.-, and thought

.-o.nelhiag should be done there, though it would mean amending another Act. Ife could see no objection to including banks and solicitors’ fine,- if: tin bill. They worked short limit's riou and crisis wonid mu be increased. People should be prepared to pay more for their goods. However, he thought increased costs was not a good thing.

Mr. (11. ('hnpmaii (l.nb.. Wellington North) said llie bill was a necessary measure to maud off ilie industrial legislation introduced by the Government. In llie post, wages in manv shops had been disgracefully low and there were many young people today working in shops and office:- for the‘miserable wage of ."at; n week.

Mr. W. .!. It road font (Nut.. Waitotuo) said tiie hill would raise costs and would muse diliiciiilies, particularly iu country districts. The bill would tighten u]i eruditions of hours and holidays. lie did toil think it would lie of miieli benefit to the professions. The bill -was going out of its way to pinprick banks und au-tiim-cers and was '‘piling on the agony ”

for those running businesses. lie agreed with the provisions prohibiting female labour :u i-erlaio hours, and said if il paid hll.-blesses to keep open late at night proper wages should he paid. The delia | e was ad jolt rued.