HINDU HAWKERS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2124, 16 April 1914, Page 6

HINDU HAWKERS

LICENSES BEING WITHHELD. It is customary for the Chief.City Inspector (Mr. James Doyle) to issue or renew annual licenses io street hawkers on or about April 1, the beginning of tho financial year. In view of tho recent complaints respecting the inroads that are being made into tho business of fruit, Bhop-keepors by the influx into Wellington during tho past year of a number of Hindu hawkers, no licenses have been issued so far, either to Hindu or white hawkers, and those who aro at present vending fruit from harrows in the street are doing so at tho risk of being prosecuted for selling without a license. So far, however, it has been deemed advisable not to prosecute. This course of action has been determined because the wholo question of street hawkers is now under consideration by the council,' and until' it is decided ,as to what is the wisest course to pursue the matter of issuing licenses will remain in abeyance. It is argued in some quarters that a man who takes, up a regular stand, and remains _ stationary on the one. spot, is not, strictly sneaking, a hawker, and tliore'fore should not be given an annual license (which only coats £1). Some of the stands given Hindu and other hawkers of fruit are considered to be even better places for catching trade than the shop two or three doors away, for which the >rent might be £4 or £5 a week, and in support of that contention it is said that some hawkers have offered rentes high as 15s. per week for certain positions.