SHOPS AMD OFFICES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12593, 6 September 1905, Page 7

SHOPS AMD OFFICES.

THEIR HOURS

THE AMENDED BILL

A review of the present position of tho Shops and Offices Amendment Bill (which has been so severely handled during its passage through committee in tho House) will no doubt be inter-

esting. The law as it stands at present provides -that shop assistants shall not be employed more than fifty-two hours in any one week, but it does not make any provision as to when those hours shall begin and end on each day. In addition, clause 3 (now repealed) provides that all shops in the four combined districts shall close at 6 o'clock on ordinary -nights and 9 o'clock on the one late night of tho week. The amending Bill in its present state —and this is a point concerning which tbero appears to be a great deal of misconception—says absolutely nothing regarding the compulsory early closing of shops. All that the Bill as it new stands provides is that shop assistants shaft-not work more than' fifty-two houni in any ono week, and that, with tho exceptioi of the trades mentioned in the first and second schedules, they shall cease work at 6 o'clock on ordinary nights and 11 o'clock on the late night. Theivs ie nothing to prevent the shop itself being kept open after the assistants leave. In the case of those mentioned in tho first schedule, viz., bakers, booksellers, butchers, chemists, dairy produce sellers, florists, hairdressers, and tobacconists, the assistants must leave work not later than 8 o'clock on four rights and 11 o'clock on one night of the week. With regard to those enumerated in tho sco/id schedule, viz.,

confectioners, fishmongers,, fruiterers, pork butchers, and refreshment keep"'(teSj tho employees must leave work at lil-o'clock on four nights and 11 o'clock a none late night. These provisions, however, are subject to clause 21 of the existing Act, which enables a threefifthri majority in any trade to decide tho hour for closing, and in such case they may keep'their employees at work until the hour so fixed tor closing, notwithstanding the provisions just stated. Tho probable effect of this (should tho Bill be left in its present state) would be that all trades would immediately bring themselves under clause 2i of tho Act, in order that they may keep their assistants later than six u'clock. . Tho advocates of early closing contend that it would be most unfair that shops employing labour should be compelled to close at 6 (which they would virtually have to do if their assistants left at that tiime) whilst shops employing no, or perhaps only one, assistant, would bo able to keep open till a later hour. Tho Premier, it is understood, will move to re-commit the Bill with tho view of altering this provision in the direction of making it illegal to k< jep assistants after 6 o'clock. It is understood, however, that the Labour members will oppose the recommittal, as they hold it is better that ■a large proportion of shops should have to close at 6 o'clock in consequence of their' employees leaving at that hour, than that tho whole should keep open until late at night, as they would be able to do under the Premier's proposition. They consider that the repealed clause 3, with the necessary exemptions, ia tho best provision that can be irtade. ■ With regard to \JSces, the Bill does <not differ mujh from the present law, ■with the exception that thero shall be no overtime in certain offices, including merchants' and, newspaper offices, warehouses, and Other offices. When the Bill reaches the Legislative Jfcuino.i an attempt will probably be iSldo to introduce a clause similar to that proposed in tho House last week by Mr. Arnold (chairman of the Labour fcilla Committee) and defeated. The effect of this would be to provide fox;, 6 o'clock closing on four nights of ifcwe; week and 9 o'clock closing on the late night, with special provision for Ghrist; m&n Eve, New Year's Eve, and the night before Easter, and with two exemption schedules, one providing for 8 instead of 6 o'clock closing, in the caso of chemists, tobacconists, and others, and tho other leaving fruiterers and kindred trades entirely exempt. In such case, it is anticipated that thero may again bo a disagreement between the two Houses, and..consequent recourse. to a ,con£eaencß, as was the case last yea%r-"New Zealand Times.','