SMALL SHOPKEEPERS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17114, 8 April 1921, Page 10

SMALL SHOPKEEPERS.

EARLY CLOSING GRIEVANCE. A meeting of small shopkeepers was held last night to consider the early closing regulations. Mr E. L. McKeon presided. The chairman said those t»1io desired exemption from the new regulation had i to make application to the Magistrate. I The meeting was held in order to arrive at a uniform method of laying the objections. Some objections had already been lodged, but -were not in order. The new legislation was passe.l without notice, and came as a thunderbolt upon those shopkeepers who were-so badly hit. An association of small shopkeepers was formed to resist, it possible,, the new restrictions "wihSrh were being enforced. An amending Bill to 'rem'edy the trouble was brought down by the Hon. G. J. Anderson, but was strongly .opposed in -unexpected, quarters, and the only 'elief afforded was the right to appeal to the Magistrate. An amending Act was to be introduced during the next session, and on this occasion all the parties'interested would have tiho opportunity to be heard by the Committee. It was to lw i regretted that in the recent rush legislation the small shopkeeper was notj heard. Only employers of labour appeared before the Committee, and the case a.s against the small shopkeeper went by default. In the amending 'Bill of last session the original proposal was that appeals were to be heard by the Arbitration Court. The legislative Council changed that to the Magistrate-, and he was glad the change was mado, for he believed very few exemptions would have been granted. The Labour Department had announced that the 6 o'clock closing would be enforced forthwith, irrespective of the lodging of an appeal ', wnereas tftie Prime Minister had stated, in the House there w:ould be. no. prosecutions pending appeals. He had that evening received a telegram from the Minister of Labour saying it was never intended nor suggested by him .that shops would be allowed to remain open after t> p.m. pending consideration of their application by t)he Magistrate. Somebody was ot the back of the" Labour Department forcing, the compulsory clauses of the Act. He would not say who it was, but the meeting might guess. A Voice: Jimmy McComba. . The chairman:. I am' nor going to make- statements.behind thß privilego of Parliament,- but I will say, without fear of contradiction, tlhat the : Labour Party were at' the back',of the,action Labour Department to-day. The Shop Assistants' .Union is at the back of this.

A voice: Will the Magistrate deal ■with, the cases individually? The chairman: Yes. A voice: He will feave a very tough ■Job. . '■.••■• , ':•■•'■ ''Will it be open Court P" asked another gentleman. "Yes," replied the chairman. "I understand so. We simply go into the t"ox as an ordinary .criminal." Mr Hanham enquired where the hardship cSmo.in. The'small shopkeeper only kept open late to catch trade, as against their competitors. All the shops should close iip at. the same time. Mr Townsend, of Wellington, said .that: in •:Wellington and Auckland the. late shops were those : conducted by Asiatics', Jews) and other foreigners. The new legislation went through, at the 1 request of a'large body of business' people. . It,,did not-go througii surreptitiously; as-was alleged. The idea was to put a stop to the operation of dummy shops, in reality branches of big establishments.' .'','- The chairman ruled that Mr Townsend . had no. standing,at .the. meeting, which;.was-.,. a.--meeting ■ of .Christchurch shob-;, keepers. • He would say Mr Townsend-s. allegation as to the alien nature of the northern shopkeepers was quite' con-trary'to-fact. '. ; .;.-:;.;' :.:'. :,",-.•'■ Mr Townsend said.his Temarks applied to Courtenay place, Wellington. The chairman said it was also incorrect to say there 'v.-a» a strong public p'pMbn behind.tihe -l;'' ': !ation. All that was -behind'.the -legv.-^.fcion .was the labour. unip'n. Mrs Sheareby said $lO housewives should be cdnsideredl,. 'and the suburban i&ops should be, allowed to keep' open. '"■;.. Mr Hanna- paid that some years ago the Kicoarton shopkeepers came to. an agreement to'close-at 8' p m., I'o'p.m late -nights, and 1 p.m. weekly hc-lidav. ■ That method had worked well. A lady.present declared that the.big eitablishmonts footing in the days of unrestricted hours, and now wanted to keep down the small man .by the enforcement of restrictive' regulation. • . .: . A-shopkeeper asked ; .if there was "any regulation as to when a shop was' to. be opened. • The chairman said there was hone. ■ In reply to a question the chairman said that if..the shopkeepers could agree on a • reasonable closing time, that would-'weigh with the Magistrate. Mr Capsticlc. proposed that "the 'universal hour for small shops' should be 7,pirn.."on four nights, & p.m.: on late nights,.and: 1 p.m. on halfhplidayj amplication'to. be made accordingly to the. Magistrate. This was seconded by Mr C. Broughtdn. ; ■Mr Hanna. moved ; an, amendment, extending the time to 8 o'clock. Mr S.Moorcroft seconded the amendment. .■■■■■■ A speaker recommended the meeting to make the time 8 p.m., as the Magistrate would "probably knock an hour off. .'*... A voice: Better make it 9 o'clock then.'.'.' V -,'..', The-amendment ; . was carried. Mr Jones then moved: "That this meeting; of Christchurch shopkeepers, while thanking the Minister for_ the amendment passed last session, wish to ; point out that the position is still far. from giving satisfaction,' and we would ask. that when the Consolidated Bill' comes down the small shopkeeper be allowed unrestricted • hours to trade on five days a week." This .proposition was taken aa an amendment on the one already adopted, and Was rejected by a narrow majority. Mr Hanna's amendment, asking for an 8 o'clock. closing hour, was then put as the substantive motion, and carried.