1.—9

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

Tuesday, 4th July, 1905. Herbert Seaton, President of the New Zealand Shopkeepers' Association, examined. (No. 1.) 1. The Chairman.'] What are you by trade, Mr. Seaton ? —A fancy-goods dealer. 2. In Wellington ?—No. 26, Willis Street, Wellington. I am a member of the New Zealand Shopkeepers' Association. 3. Do you occupy any office? —I am chairman of it. 4. Do you give evidence this morning on behalf of the Wellington or the New Zealand shopkeepers? —The New Zealand Association is now in course of affiliation with the other three centres. There are similar associations in Auckland and Christchurch; but on the present occasion whatever evidence I am in a position to give is on behalf of the Wellington Association. 5. Will you kindly make a statement? —Yes. The New Zealand Shopkeepers' Association was formed on account of the oppressive action of clause 3 of the Shops and Offices Act of last session, and, as far as our association is concerned, we are perfectly unanimous in wishing for the repeal of that clause. Our association, of course, does not represent every shopkeeper in Wellington. The Wellington Association, conjoined with the Newtown Defence League, has a membership of two hundred, each member being a legitimate shopkeeper. We have gone carefully through the number of shops in Wellington, and we find that altogether in Wellington, Newtown, and the suburbs there are, as near as possible, 907 shops, some two hundred of which have always closed at 6 o'clock. The other seven hundred remained open during the evening. Most of these are, of course, the smaller shops, not only in the city, but in the suburbs. Our association numbers, as I have said, about two hundred members. The other five hundred are quite in sympathy with us in asking for the repeal of the clause; but they leave the smaller number to pull the chestnuts out of the fire and do the work. The majority of the members of the association —in fact, the whole of them —are in favour of the repeal of the clause, and a large number are quite willing to abide by the proposed amendment, that no assistants shall be employed after 6 o'clock. However, there is a minority who fail to see how they can conduct their business during the evening without employing assistants at stated periods. They are perfectly willing to abide by the statutory hours for the assistants —fifty-two hours a week, I think it is; but there are a good number who have been working double shifts —that is to say, assistants who have come on at 8 in the morning have left at 2 in the afternoon, and those that have come at 2 have remained till 9 in the evening. There are very few shops in Wellington, other than fruiterers, that remain open after 9. Wellington being one of the chief centres of the colony, and a very large shipping port, it stands to reason that there are a very large number of people —especially those employed in and around the boats —who find it absolutely impossible to do their shopping before 6 o'clock. In some cases the present Act has been the cause of those who have complied with the law —and a very large number hay to dismiss their one assistant. I can give you three cases —probably other members of the association know of more. One is Mr. Wilkinson, a bookseller in Vivian Street; another is Mr. Patrick, a draper in Vivian Street; and the third is Mr. Wickens. They have had to dismiss their assistants so as to be able to open at night. 6. What do they represent? —One is a picture-frame maker, one a draper, and one a bookseller. So that in the event of the clause remaining on the statute-book, there is no doubt that a lot of the smaller shops, where there is only one assistant employed, would dismiss that assistant so as to be able to keep open. We find it is absolutely authentic that a large amount of hardship has been caused to those who have conformed with the law. In some cases the receipts have dropped off to the extent of 25 per cent, as compared with last year, and they are going down all the time. In a good many cases 75 per cent, of the receipts come in in the evening. Those shops that really seem to be unable to work without the help of an assistant at night are, from what we can gather from members of our association, chemists, fruiterers, fishmongers, tobacconists, pork-butchers, confectioners, booksellers, and drapers. As far as I am concerned, I have two assistants. Their hours are from 9 in the morning till half past 5 in the evening. During the five years I have been in business in Wellington I have never on one occasion brought them back at night; but I recognise the fact that there may be times, such as in the event of illness or myself being away, when it would perhaps be necessary to have an assistant back at night, as long as one complied with the statutory hours. I would just like to mention my own takings during one month for the past three years. The month is that during which, this year, I conformed with the law and closed, and' the same month in the two previous years. My business, I might mention, is an American novelty, electro-plate, and jewellery business. Twice a year I hold a sale. One of these extends from the middle of May to the middle of June, and is commonly called the "Yankee Hustle Sale." My receipts from the 14th May to the 14th June were, in 1903, when my businesshours were from 9 in the morning till 9 at night, £513 17s. 9d.— the figures being taken from my books; the receipts from 14th May to 14th June, 1904, the hours being the same, were £533 12s ; while from the 14th May to the 14th June, this year, when I have conformed with the law by closing at 6, they have been £330 9s.—a difference of £203 3s. as compared with the previous year. I may say that my takings are not as large as that every month; but any gentleman here is quite at liberty to see my books. That is all I have to say; but I should like other members of our association to add a few words as to the way the Act is affecting them, I—l. 9.