RIVAL PETITIONS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1259, 14 October 1911, Page 4

RIVAL PETITIONS.

GROCERS* CLOSING HOUR. Tho By-laws Committee of tho City Council yesterday considered two more rival petitions from grocers, relating to tho fixing of a closing hour. At present tho larger grocers close their shops at (i p.m., and tho smaller traders keep open till us late as fl p.m. Tho council may determine the hour of closing on receipt of a requisition or a petition from a majority of tho traders interested. Petitions from tho larger grocers, asking for six o'clock closing, and from tho small dealers protesting against it, were received recently by the council, but the majority for or against was always narrow, and uncertain, bocanso tho list of signatories had not been carefully revised, Tor instance, tho counter petitions contained tho names of unnaturaliscd Chinamen, and of dealers who were not grocers. Yesterday, however, revised petitions were presented, and there was a majority for early closing, tho numbers lwing S3 for, and 72 against. Tho minority includes only five Chinamen. Provided no other irregularities are discovered, tho council must now fix six o'clock as tho closing hour for all establishments in which