PROTECTIVE LEGISLATION.

Evening Star, Issue 3465, 31 March 1874, Page 3

PROTECTIVE LEGISLATION.

In the Taranaki Provincial Council, on .March 18, the Provincial Secretary (Mr 1 V\ hitcombe), in moving the second reading of the Licensed Hawkers Bill, said they were at present without a statute on the subject, .and therefore, at the request of a number of ,tbe tradespeople, he introduced the Bill, which would be found to be a copy of a •'outhland.- Act,' with , the exception-ot issuing istore licenses. There were to be issutcl three kinds of licenses—one to be paid by i my one opening a room or shop for retailing goods, not being a householder in’the place° and the same not being hia usual place of iboclo. The second class were those who •carried goods Tor sale on; packhorses or in vehicles. The third were for- those who .carried about their own wares.—The Bill was ithen read a second time, and the Council went into Committee on it; Oii clause 4 bein_• read, fixing the license at L2O for any one who opened a shop in the place, Mr Syme moved the reduction of the sum to t, 10, He said-no. doubt * the' shopkeepers 1 did not like these grangers coming here, but they must consider the public as well.—Mr Whitcombs said that goods brought here were only the refuse irons other places.—Mr M‘Guire considered the amount as originally : prihteiil was not too heavy.—Mr Peacock differed with the last speaker. He considered that it was a benefit to the public these men coming, as it kept the shopkeepers from charging such Excessively high Irates- as they otheHvi’se would do.—Mr Connett said these men were a benefit to the public,—Mr-Elliot said pe had bought a pair ’of trousers from one of these men, which turned out no good.—Mr Upjohn said; that there.waa oily) one person in town who paid cash for dairy produce. The settlers, had to v take it out in goods, which was not right. He thought that these hawkers should pay a license, but f-10 enough. - It mus}; not be forgotten that they had to pay large amounts for freight.—Mr , Hattenbury supported the amendment of' LlO, 'which ’was put and carried. The cart license was also reduced from LS to L 3. The penal clause caused some discussion, when the tine for keeping a shop open illegally was reduced from LSO to L3O, and words • added, making au agent of any one coming to open a shop for carrying on a business without a license, liable to the fine.— Major Atkinson asked if the Natives who brought in produce or the country people who sold their goods would have to take out a license ? He thought provision should be made for their exemption. Mr Whitcombs : Oh, I forgot; I must introduce a clause. [The added clause exempts persons selling, fish, fruit, vegetables, and articles of their own manufacture ] It has been reserved for, this Province to distinguish itself above all other Provinces by the creation of a new offence hitherto unknown to Jhe. law. Under the- guise of ipakiug regulations for the issue of hawker’s licenses, a Bill has been introduced, and, to astonishm nt, passed 'the Council, prohibiting any person who is not a householder and resident in the Province opening a shop for the sale of any description of goods unless he takes out what is termed a hawker’s license. The object, wo believe, is to disc?u.r?’=e practice of itinerant shopkeepers visiting New-Plymouth qnd injuring the toade of the resident ones by seducing cash Customers to their establishments by the Uovelty ofdheir wares,’and by assertions of the alarming sacrifices under which they are giving away their g00d5.... We certainly sympathise with the store'keepers in their desire to put a stop to this unfair rivalry, but we think the manner in which it is sought to be doue is very unsatisfactory, being calculated to materially interfere with the freedom of trade, and being also ineffectual, because it can be so easily evaded, it wili also be obviously inconvenient because it prohibits any person outside the Province opening a branch establishment, or starting any new business, without taking out a hawker’s li ense. In fact, it is questionable if some persons now doing business in New Plymouth will not subject themselves to penalties if the Bill becomes law, and be liable to be detained in custody by any policeman until a license is produced, and the words “licensed hawker” painted m large letters over the doors of their establishments. If the Bill becomes law we expect to see the principle of the Bill extended and some protection given to merchants, who are residents, and householders, against the swarms of commercial gentlemen who destroy their legitimate trade by persuading storekeepers to buy of them, on the plea of a| lower tariff, rather than from the established local firm But sneaking seriously, we very much regret

the passing of this Bill We did hope that the Council had more enlig tened views with respect to commercial legi lotion, but we are disappointed. a long list of exceptions has already been made ot things which may be hawked without a license, in fact, the very things likely to be hawked in the Province. The Bill will receive the assent of the Superintendent as a matter of course—whether it will receive the assent of his Excellency the Governor is very doubtful indeed.— ‘Taranaki Herald.’