TOBACCONISTS' GRIEVANCES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 958, 27 October 1910, Page 3

TOBACCONISTS' GRIEVANCES.

ALLEGED UNFAIR COMPETITION.

A deputation representing the Executive of the Tobacconists' Association waited on the Minister for - Justice (the Hon. Dr. Findlay) yesterday, to complain of Sunday trading in tobacco, cigars, and cigarettes by restaurant-keepers and other people who make a business of selling summer drinks on Sundays. . Mr. J. B. Speed said that a very large illicit trade in tobacco was done by restaurant-keepers. 'They sold it not only on Sunday, but on the half-holiday, and during hours when tobacconists were required to keep their shops closed. The present penalty, in his opinion, was far too small. Twenty shillings was altogether too small a fine. -■ • One man actually boasted that he did not care how many times he was fined —it' paid him to take the risk of selling on bunday. ■ Another, speaker complained.' that no other trade in-'the oityiWas'-subjected to so much' lmfajr. competition .as that of the tobacconist..' . ..; ".-,. ..'••..'..'

Dr. Findlay said: 'the,.matter had ;been before his predecessor in oin.ee- (the 'Hon. James M'Gowan). He : had.- since- 1 looked through the official files,'which contained a number, of' police-reports ;from.'' different parts of .Now ■;Zealand; ■< ~These showed, ; that: , ; there->Was a ' very l - considerable amount'ofUllicitUradihg '• done.-by restaurant-keepers in tobacco,'.cigars, and cigarettes on Sundays. It had to be remembered that certain classes of shops had to be kept open 'on Sundays—shops at:which people obtained food—but the selling of tobacco on the Sabbath was not a necessity.. The provision in the Police Offences Act, ,under which cases of. the kind were brought,, was not a satisfactory one. It had been copied from the. English. Act many years ago, and had been designed, not so much to.protect honest trading, as. to protect the Sabbath. He agreed that a penalty of 20s. was quite inadequate to deal with the evil. Dr. Findlay said he would confer.■ with his colleagues, and'' particularly with the Minister for Labour, with a view to seeing what could be done. He did not know whether it would' be possible to pass legislation this session.

Mr. Speed also complained that the factory inspectors harassed the tobacconists, instead of looking after those people who sold tobacco on Sundays. Dr. Findlay said'this.was outside' his province. Complaint should be made to the Minister for Labour.