OUR SHOP ASSISTANTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 415, 26 January 1909, Page 9

OUR SHOP ASSISTANTS.

ENGLAND ASKS FOR INFORMATION

STRIKINCI BIOTA' FROM WELLINGTON

a meeting of (ho New, Zealand Shop.keepo'r's'- Association hcltl yesterday the fol- ] lofting letter from the National Chanibp'f of; Trade (llirtl), 'England, was read:—.'Bear Sir,—On behalf of thonbova chamber, which. '. is ntimoricaliy'tlio.largest association of shop-: leper's/in.,tho United Kingddni, my coniniitttio .woiild cdnsfdor ii a great, favour if' , you;could: forward us• scmo information as to the! of small and- large."shop- , kedpdrs iii Wo'liingfonj ory.to he.' nipro definite j-tlid.prdpertidiv of. shopkeepers that employ fio ;'aVsistahts ;,as : domparcd : wi'th. tiioso : ;iWiO'eniploy; "assistants!. :'if not possible for (ha whdld of -Wellington, perhaps it could be:-done.'for-olid. of. the main roads leading -bub' 6f'Wellington.'--My council is under the impression that in' tho Old. Couri-' try *3.; haye'rS.-'mueli.: lafgdl-- proportion of, -.smalt-shopkeepers/ and we see. no other way 'to o'bfaiiir : information .than by trespassing : upon Borne.:association kindred to our' own' ■ /which, we'suppose -you to.btfi ;. ,':•.:•.;/.;; . \ !■■'■•' "^ :^^; / /"• ' ! -;. : :y.v;.; y.."Hon/.6eTi,vSecretar-y.". J ,; | . i T*d .'the . above' idttef: the' fpllpwiiig, reply ~ was , ' : -' i< : ; ' : ' \ • "Re Shops' arid .Offices" ;Sir — Alt sKdns<are;alioWed to, keep open td aiiy.' /hour. providing—(l)' Tliat.: iip assistants are employed >fher than,..tnemhers. of the. shop/keeper's family; or (2) that there is' no/ re-: quisitibn frbiri a.'majority of any; particulars., traded asking the local-body to Close at any specified .hduf.'■•; .Fpf example,- tobacconists . ririd'chdmists/ilt ..Wellington ..are closed at 8' p.m. by requisition, ironmongers at 6 ; p.m.; : .e'td./-. etc,': Thentnffiif-Wd'r'feing' of this Act is':—(l) Shopkeepers ■ with -children in; the : bvisinfesS 'liafe- Sir unfair advantage dyer ..those without; .(2) that: the, larger shopkeepers under- the' Act caS.^riiig;'their'.- assistants ;back, four : r week by l receiving a permit from, the'.Labour'department, providing shop ...is/not, opened/for. business ;;(&)• that in the case of'requisitions,' a vote of; a bare, majdriiy/puts'.thS,small shopkeeper in towns dnd iii ( the .suburbs' to" a disadvantage—as he loses/ill many cases, the. whole'of. the evening trade,'/F.urtbef, /iii my/ppitiidri, -it lias caused friction ariiohgst';.tlfe :din?er'efit 'slidp.'keepe'fji'such;as'nevor:existed under the:old c'dhditipiis. A fiifrther .'amendment allowing .' .'the,dlec'tdrs:.to .v'bto.as' id .whether, Saturday: o'f Wednesday--shoiild" be'^the-:early-closing : . day .(i-p.m.), was^.passed: last .year, and ; it comes info"operatidri/hcxt-month. / Thisywe - contend/;is/a very dangerous - clause] lliasriju'ch: as Saturday has. always been .the principal .-shoppingl'-'day in New. Zealand: /Any ■afte'r'afion,, if.-carried out,' will cause' the -smaller.man'to ; go.to.thc,wall, and trade will takdtims to:readjust itself to .new condi-' tions//:We:contend that;-: as.the .Act, already provides for. a weekly half-holiday and. limits ;the : houvs. of assistant's tp/62-.ireokly,further, legislatidn was .uh'neces"safy/,and ;Will. calise "unneedssary .worry and. anxiety, to. those who fiave.invested.their money.in:business./ The Shops and Ofiiqes;Amelidmeiit/Act:of : 'l9os, which cbmpelied. all shops;to : close : {tt. 6 p.m., caused a .revolution amongst: traders. • So , much'pfessiife/ivas brought Id .bear, .'and tho . injustice was seen't'd. be so great, that it was • tepeftied the following-session.' ' " ;.-: .-/'••' :•".. "In-cohncctidn;, with/the^early-closirig; disrelating t'p'shpps,' it ( is,worthy, of notice 'that tho agitatidii-hasi '.arisen .not from large shopkeepers,'but: from,iho':different■:- labour unions which this colony is un- : ' ;fortunately-overwhelmed:with. ;// '.'_ . ; r ;''-.l : : : am-i6m|ardirfg.;,tinder:>j'parat'e.'-''obyor,-registered', the ; seventeenth' annual. report ; or the; Department, of .Labdur,'..which, will give, .ytiu/tho/desired./iiiformatioii /yott'.'-wish. re . /shops':"- with ; and- without assistants; 'in' all 'tho .tow'tig hi this Dominion., .The New. Zealand - Shopkeepers', Association/will he''happy; ; . to/furnish'you- with any further information ';' -at/any: tinier?^ /.V/>'/\ ;*V:/' ;/'' : i/-- : ;'. ■:.'■/ /' : . tt SEATON,:/'/■ ■;' -^/--//./■/'/ :-/:/v' 1 -/v/' '. r '"Presitldnt.^.:H /. In;speaking4o;'the.;aboVd,'sir'i.Seaton said. , that ; tlid Labour .Department's,. Journal hadi . fiir'nished./him' with: .some'■' .interesting figures/ with .'regard .to -the..employment /of. shop -assistants. .'lii Wellington,: if. hd : , "'re'-. ;'. .membered./.rightly, /thereiWerevabout ~1135 .shopkeepe'ts; billy, about /half-'of "wliqin'em- :, :j)ldj'ed : assistants."-There was also &■ return ; .showing■thb.-ayera^6..wag'cß/paid.assistants ih v the/different-towns; :/.Welliiigt6h/w'asliighesi ;.-' witli.£92 65.: per .annum, and Auckland was' ; lowest: with. about • £75,-'. with Christchurch :.and.Dunedin.in.between.i .;,.-•. "■' :.....'. •