WOMEN TELL THE COURT OF HARDSHIPS CAUSED BY SHORT SHOP HOURS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 116, 21 May 1946, Page 5

WOMEN TELL THE COURT OF HARDSHIPS CAUSED BY SHORT SHOP HOURS

“WE CAN CLOSE, BUT NOT KEEP SHOPS OPEN...” HIS HONOUR

Auckland, May 20. Although parties to the dispute had reached agreement, a considerable amount of evidence was brought by two outside bodies, the New Zealand Housewives’ Association and the New Zealand Women’s Food Value League, when the Auckland retail butchers’ dispute was heard before Mr. .Justice Tyndall, in the Arbitration Court.

No changes in wage clauses were claimed, and the employers representative, Mi-. W. E. Anderson, and the union representative, Mi-. W. E. Sill, said the parties had reached agreement on clauses which embraced a five-day 40hour week, with Saturday morning- elosing.

Representing tlie Housewives’ As. socialion and the Food Value League, respectively, Miss C. M. Pilkington am! Mrs. N.H. Good, laid their organisations were not opposed to the union's 40-hour or live-day week, but claimed that Saturday morning closing deprived housewives a d mothers of opportunities for leisure given other sections, and placed a great burden on them. They suggested that shops should remain open on Saturday mornings, and that their employ(es should have their holiday «.i some other day. Mrs. Good said her league might take a different view if deliveries were resumed, and refrigerators were available at a price which most people could afford.

Mrs. Clara James, a housewife, gave evidence that there were two people in her household, and, although she went to shops only twice a week on normal days, she now had to go two er tnree times on Fridays. For women with large families it was a g)-eat ’.iT-il to have to do all the week-end shopping on Friday, especially if they had to take young, active children with them.

"This court has -power to close shops, but not to keep them open, and apparently they are not open,” said ills Honour. Did the witness know’bf any law to force the people to keep their shops open? 'witness: If a businessman opens a shop, has he not a responsibility to the public?

$ | His Honour: Was it not your associ- , al ion that took iome action against 5 Lie gas workers? Why do you not - take some action against these other people if they are breaking the law ? ’ Witness: I did not say it was against ■> the law of the land. i “Is not the real reason for the shops _ shutting on Saturday mornings that. Parliament has put through an Act ■ that the employees be paid time and a-haif?” asked His Honour.

Giving evidence for the Food Value League, Harold Hall, chief sanitary inspector for the Auckland City Council, said his department was making a survey of apartments which did not conform with the by-laws. The areas covered so far included 1 1480 apartments with a population of 2877. There were 240 of these with proper built-in safes, with outside ventilalation 736 with enclosed cupboards, 288 with portable safes, and 216 without any provision at all for keeping perishable foodstuffs. No refrigerators were found.

In reply to His Honour, witness said it was his opinion that there were about 12,000 people L> apartment buildings in the city, and 50, or more, per cent, had unsatisfactory food storage facilities.

“Meat deteriorates quickly in humidity, and moderately high temperatures in Auckland for eight months <>i the year,” said Dr. Barbara Hay Roche. She did not think it possible for three-quarters of the year for people, under the apartment conditions mentioned, to keep meat from Friday tu Sunday.

Meat purchased by working women on Friday mornings*, and kept at their place of work until they went home in the eve dug, was not likely to keep until Sunday, even if it was cooked on the Friday night, added the witness. To gain the maximum benefit from a hot meat meal it should be eaten on Sundays, when people were not tired.