SHOPS AND OFFICES BILL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1889, 25 October 1913, Page 6

SHOPS AND OFFICES BILL.

SEX DAY WEEK PROPOSAL. The Shops and Ofßoes Bill, which haa boon undor the consideration, of the Labour Bills Committee of the House of Representatives for three months past, was reported back to the House of Representatives yesterday by the Labour Bills Committee, through its chairman (Mr. Bradnoy). Tho oommittee has made a number of amendments in tho Bill, but many of tWin are of a minor or merely verbal nature. Employees in hotels and restaurants are brought within the dafiuition of shop assistants. All shops aro required to register as such within fourteen days of notice. The time for tho commencement of work by butchers' 6hop assistants haa been altered from four a.m. to five a.m. Theoporation cf tho overtime clause in regard to shop assistants is extended. from those receiving up to £200 a year to those receiving up to £250 a year. Thrco days' grace in tho payment of wages is allow-, ed, as against tho original proposal of seven days. Provision is made for Meeting local oircumstanccs in regard to tho day of the weekly half-holiday. The closing time on such days is fixed for 12.30 p.m., instead of 1 p.m. Butchers and pork-butchers are brought into line with other shops in regard to the day of closing. Railway bookstalls are also included in the compulsory closing list. The oommitteo has struck out the clause which proposed to extend the closing hour on four days of the woek in the four large cities from 0 p.m. to 8 p.m. The working hours of males in hotols and restaurants have been reduced by tho committee from 62 to 60 per week, and tho working hours of females in hotels havo been roduoed from 68 to 56. Ten hours has been fixed as tho maximum working timo in any one day in hotels and ■ restaurants without tho payment of overtime. One shilling per hour (instead of ninepeneo) is fixed as the maximum overtime rate. A proviso has been insorted to tho effect that provision may bo made in any award or industrial agreement relating to assistants in hotels or restaurants for a whole holiday of 24 hours in each weok in lieu of the halfholiday. Tho provision, however, may bo modified in respect of specified localities on cause being shown. Office assistants whose wages are or exceed £200 a year shall not be entitled to payment for extended hours. This provision applies to office assistants ill a largo number of specified offices who aro employed after 1.30 p.m. on Saturdays, or after 5.30 p.m. on other days. Tho committee has struck out Clause 43, which provides that employees commit an offonco when assistants are employed later than 15 minutes after tho proscribed closing time. Clause 56, which proposes to exempt newspaper offices, from the operation of tho Act for certain purposes, has also been struck out. "When tho Bill was presented Sir Josoph Ward asked whether tho chairman of the committee ceulS givo any Information regarding tho effect of tho amendments. He had received probably as many as 250 communications on tho Bubjeot of this Bill. The Prime Minister said that he had probably rcoeived more communications ui regard to tho Bill than any other member, but it would not be wise to adopt Sir Joseph Ward's suggestion, as it would probably lead to a debato and a "talking-out" at 5.30. What would become of tho Bill then? Tho Bill would come up for debate after being reprinted, and it oould bo fully discussed and explained then. He believed that the 'Bill had com© back to tho House in a form that would appeal to members.