CLOSING-HOURS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1876, 9 October 1913, Page 8

CLOSING-HOURS.

9 PEARS OF SMALL TRADERS. BUSINESS AT NIGHT. ' A deputation representative of the > smaller shopkeepers of Wellington and ; suburbs waited upon the Prime Minis-; ■ ter (tie Hon. W. F. Massoy) yesteri day to protest against certain clauses | in the Shops and Offices Bill, now before the Labour Bills Committee. Dr. A. K. , Newman, M.P., introduced the deputation. Mr. Fownes, representing the smaller clothiers, said that ho wished espe- ! cially to protest against t'lio requisi- ' tion clause of the Bill, by which a majority of shopkeepers could move to fix I the closing horn- for all shops at G p.m. The danger was that tho larger shopkeepers, who were increasing in number so that they might now be ablo to secure a majority requisition, could, by fixing the closing hour at 6 p.m., take away from the smaller shopkeepers their livelihood. The day for the smaller shopkeepers did not reall}- begin in earnest until 5 p.m., when the people returned from their work in tho City. The clothiors did not .object very strongly to the proposal to fix tho compulsory closing hour for all shops at 8 p.m. He wished it to be clearly understood thai fhey did not ask for tho right to work assistants, and that tho Assistants' Union did not object to small shops kept open after tho closing hours'of the larger shops. Mr. Burley, representing the smaller grocers, protested against the proposal to close all shops compulsorily at any fixed hour. At present a majority in tho trade in "Wellington wore opposed t-o six o'clock closing, so that a requisition could not bo obtained in favour of it, but tho smaller traders objected to the requisition clause as it was to them a.continual source of danger. They objected also to eight o'clock closing, or to any legislative restrictions on trade. Business in Wellington was about as bad now as it had been at any time during the last ton years, and shopkeepers found difficulty in "getting mo'iiey in." Many had already gone to tho wall, and if more restrictions were imposed upon them, more small traders would bo driven out of business. , Mr. Bayliss also protested against compulsory eight o'clock 'closing. The Hon. W. F. Massey, replying, said that he did not propose to be a party to imposing any unnecessary restrictions on any section of the community, small tradesmen or others. Tho Bill would bo before the committee again on Friday,, and he would bear their representations in mind. Ho could not promise them that the clauses they objected to would be deleted, but he assured them that tho committee -would not knowingly do them any harm. He recognised that tho small man might need protection. Tho big man could usually look after himself. '