THE Waihi Daily Telegraph WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WAIHI MINER MONDAY. OCTOBER 17, 1904

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1121, 17 October 1904, Page 2

THE Waihi Daily Telegraph WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WAIHI MINER

MONDAY. OCTOBER 17, 1904

Horo shall the I'ro-s tho Pooplo'B Riffht maintain Unawod by influonoo »nd unbrlbed by gtln; Horo patriot Truth her glorious prooepts drift Plodiod to Betifion I.ibortj, ud I»ir

It has doubtless been seen by on; Parliamentary reports of the last fen day that the Shops and Offices Bil has been somewhat amended. Min ing companies' offices, miners' nnioi offices, and solicitors' offices arenov exempt from the provisions. Ar alteration has also been made in th< definition of "shop-assistant," al Assistants who are indirectly cmployed being now exempted. In the original Bill there was a clause mat ing it compulsory on the part o! shopkeepers to give their deliver; men reasonable time to deliver theii orders and get back to the shop nol later than the time for knocking off It has been the practice of some ol the shop-keepers in the cities to send out their delivery men a few minutes before the time for closing with orders that would take hours to deliver, the shop-keepoi thus getting an hour or two's work for nothing, lint in the debate last week it was pointed out that in country districts, -where the customers were miles away from the store, and where an order might bo urgent, the clause would act injuriously to a percentage of customers, After a long discussion the I'lemior said he would amend it to meet these special cases, and the result is that the Bill will not apply to persons engaged in delivering by vehicle, boat, or pack-horse, 011 any other day than that fixed for the statutory half-holiday, goods which have been ordered, and bona-fide made up package?, or in receiving produce or kauri gum from persons outside, and not nearer than three miles to any borough or town district other than in which the employers' shop is situated, and outside any area comprised within the award of the Arbitration Court, and the delivery of the goods being to, or the receiving of the produce or kauri gum from, pemons residing not less than four miles from the shop of any employe; provided that tho return to (lit shop of tho

person delivering the qooda or receiving the produce slull not, undor ordinary circumstances, be more than three hours beyond the hour limited to be employed in any week, If it passes tho Upper House tho climso will benefit considerably the town delivery men, who have

hitherto, as already shown, been victimised to a more or lees extent. A clauso lias beon added prohibiting the employment of womon and girls after six o'clock on four days of the week, or after eight on one day of the week, the remaining (lay being, of course, the half-

holiday. The clause providing for a referendum on the question of making Saturday the day for the compulsory half-holiday has boen struck out, leaving the day to be fixed by the Ucal bodiei, as at present. The latter is inncl the better

system, as every district has the opportunity of considerim; which of the two days will unit .local necw. dittos, and of deciding accordingly. It is also provided that any shop, keeper desiring to close on any other day thau that fixed by the conference may do so on giving notice to the

inspector, To the shops which are not compelloil to close 011 the halfholiday are added coffeehouses, satinghouses, and bakers, and it is also provided that Bhops in which thoro are post offices may keep open for postal, telephone, or telegraphic business, Chemists. can keep open for the sale of urgent medicines, but words have been added that they can bo open for that purpose only. All assistants in hotel bars are lo have a half-holiday every week on a day mutually agreed upon.