AGAINST SIX O'CLOCK CLOSING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1846, 4 September 1913, Page 8

AGAINST SIX O'CLOCK CLOSING.

I) SMALL SHOPKEEPERS' CON- „ CERNED. ! Consternation has-been caused in the ranks of the smaller shopkeopers of n Wellington and suburbs by the requisi- . tion for legislation compelling all slio-s nt) be closed at G p.m., said to havo j bc-en promoted , by the large sliop- . keepers of the city. To combat the f proposal' a meeting of shopkeepers was a held yesterday afternoon. Mr. Gilbert [_ E. Townes presided, and there wero 1 about fifty shopkeepers present. The chairman, in opening the procecdings, stated, in plain terms, that s the big shopkeepers of Wellington wero . promoting a requisition to Parliament ], requesting legislation that would mean 1 the compulsory closing of all shops l] (other than those which purveyed per- :. ishablo goods) at G p.m., a movement j! that was entirely opposed to the interests, and even the business life, of the ;c smaller shopkeepers, many of whom depended on the business, done between Si 6 p.jn. and 8 p.m., a time> when the | v working men and women could leave l' ; homo to do their little bit of shopping. He stated that in his own ease (Mr. Townes is a'Riddiford Street mercer) the bulk of his trade was done after {• 6 o'clock of an evening, and 1 if 6 o'clock closing were carried ho would have to shut up shop, and there were a good many others in a like position. He also recalled the time when. a similar 0 f movement was initiated during'the late Lh Mr. Se'ddon's regime as Premier and ss Minister for Labour, when a monster io meeting of protest was held in the'Skatis, in;: Rink in Tngcstre Street, and Mr.' n | Seddon was given so bad a timo Hliat , 0 ' lie revoked the whole thing. . Several women shonkeeners who were present also expressed their indignation at the attempt made to ruin their busing nesses. fit Mr. Herbert Price also spnlco against lis the proposal, and be moved that a depung tation wait on the Minister for Labour 'e- on Friday and that representatives of "■ the small shopkeepers give evidenco be>v? fore, the Labour Bills Committee of the • House. This was carried unanimously, f. s ." and a denutation consisting of Mesj dames Wilson and Whittaker, Messrs. ho G. Townes. H. Price. L. Evans, Whitlo, taker, Halpin, and Joseplison was apby pointed to wait upon the Minister. :o, A'petition (still in circulation) conho tabling the signatures of 7-4 shopkeep"s ers of' Wellington and suburbs is also J;- to be presented to the Minister as a protest against compulsory 6 o'clock closing. « ■