CLOSING HOURS OF SHOPS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17117, 12 April 1921, Page 8

CLOSING HOURS OF SHOPS.

ASSOCIATION AND MINISTBB. The secretary of the Ohratchurch .Shopkeepers' Association sent the following telegram .to the Hon.G. J. Anderson, Minister of Labour, on April 7th; "Labour Department here closing shops until applications are heard by the Magistrate. Understood we were allowed to keep open pending Magistrate's decision/' Mr Anderson ; replied as follows: "Your telegram received. It was not intended or suggested by me shops would be allowed to remain open after six o'clock pending consideration of their application by the Magistrate." .•/" i The secretary replied: "Thanks for telegram. Would like to refer you to the Hon. Mr Massey's statement in the House on March 18th. 1921, that no prosecutions would take place until •small shops'had had an opportunity of appealing to the Court." Mr. Anderson replied: "Replying to your telegram : As the House did not make provision in the amending measure to enable shops to keep open pending consideration of their applications by the Magistrate, must.administer the law as existing, and have no. power to authorise my officers not. to prosecute." The -secretary sent the following to Mr Anderson yesterday: /'Telegram from Mr Massey referring matter to you. Shopkeepers here bitterly disappointed that Mr Massey's promise made in the House has not been,carri#d out.''

To this Mr Anderson replied: "Your telegram received. You are quite mistaken in your statement that Mr Massey made such a promise. What occurred was that Mr Massey and" I said in the House during the. debate that we w.ould like to see legal proceedings stopped until the Magistrate had decided the applications of hardship. This statement caused decided opposition by Mr McCombs, Mr Isitt, and others, and was not agreed to by the House. The best that could be done for the small shopkeepers was done by me. It was either the compromise adopted or nothing. Shopkeepers must therefore obey the law and close their shops at six, unless the Magistrate grants them leave on account of hardship." Applications will be heard in the Magistrate's Court on 20th inst.