13

I.— 9.

A. R. V. LODDER. 1

beer, or beer, or any other refreshment; but the establishment would be closed—the drinking portion of it. Mr. Taylor : Not against the bona fide traveller ? Mr. Ladder : There would be no one to supply.him. The other servants would be engaged on other duties. Mr. Taylor : People could get everything they wanted except liquor ? Mr. Lodder: They could get the eating part of what they wanted. Mr. Mandel : To close on a halt-holiday would encourage people to break the law. Mr. Taylor : Do you do a considerable trade in cigars and cigarettes on the half-holiday that the other shops —including tobacconists—are observing, as has been stated this morning? Mr. Mandel : If it were brought in by Act of Parliament that hotelkeepers could not keep cigars and cigarettes we should not object. They are not profitable. Mr. Taylor : You desire to have the right of the hotelkeepers to sell cigars and cigarettes abolished ? Mr. Mandel: Yes, on the half-holiday. Mr. Lodder : That is, when'the tobacconists and others are closed. But that is not one of the things that we wish to press before the Committee. Mr. Taylor : But you have no objection to the right of the hotelkeepers to sell cigars and cigarettes on the hali-holiday being abolished? Mr. Mandel : No. Mr. Taylor : What do you mean when you say there is no profit on that part of your trade? Do you sell at cost-price ? Mr. Mandel : No. But a cigar that costs about s|d. we sell for 6d. Mr. Taylor : You are willing to forego the right of trading in cigars and cigarettes on the haliholiday in fairness to the other shops ? Mr. Mandel: Yes. Mr. Kirkbride : There seems to be some little contradiction in view of what has been brought out by Mr. Taylor. I understood from one of these gentlemen that if a country hotelkeeper was sick, his wife or daughter could not sell liquor before 9 o'clock in the morning. Is that so? I think that was a mistake. Mr. Lodder: I made that statement. The clause in the Bill says "female." "Female" means any woman, I think. Mr. Aitken : Mr. Lodder means that under the existing law a hotelkeeper's wife could serve in the bar before 9 o'clock in the morning, but under the suggested provision in this Bill she could not serve then. Mr. Lodder : That is so. Mr. Kirkbride : Have the hours for the workers in hotels been fixed by the Arbitration Court? Mr. Lodder : They have ; and also the pay for the servants. Mr. Kirkbride : All the workers are assistants ? Mr. Lodder: Yes. Mr. Mandel : I may say that I have thirty-eight servants, and never have a complaint. Mr. Ell : You are aware, of course, that other shopkeepers in Wellington are working under awards of the Arbitration Court —for instance, the grocers? Mr. Lodder ; Yes. Mr. Ell: Perhaps you are aware also that they do not object to the provisions of this Bill for fixing the half-holiday ? Mr. Lodder : The grocer, the butcher, the draper, and those engaged in any other business, can close their establishments ; the hotelkeepers cannot close theirs. They have to keep open under the terms of the Act; and to carry on your business you must have the servants there to do the work. Mr. Ell : What are the hours that have been fixed ? Mr. Lodder : Eleven hours a day ; so-many hours a week. Mr. Mandel: But they have two hours off in between. Mr. Ell: Are there eleven actual working-hours ? Mr. Lodder: Yes, by the Arbitration Court award ; but some of the servants do not actually work eleven hours. Mr. Mandel: It is at the meal-time that they have to work. I have a staff of eight waiters; four of them are off from 3 to 5 o'clock, but at meal-time they are all there. The Chairman: That is all, gentlemen. Mr. Lodder : On behalf of the association I have to thank you very much for the patient hearing you have given us. I hope you will take into favourable consideration what we have said, and treat the matter judiciously. The Chairman: We will consider what you have said most carefully.

. Tkiday, 7th August, 1903. Messrs. John McFablanb, Akchibald Millbb, and John Wahdell in attendance. (Nos. 13, 14, and 15.) The Chairman: I understand you desire to give evidence with regard to the Shops and Offices Bill which this Committee is considering? Mr. McFarlane : Yes; we are a deputation appointed by the Dunedin Master Grocers' Association to come to Wellington to state the views of the association with regard to the provisions of the Shops and Offices Bill. The Chairman : Are you president of the association ?