SHOPPING HOURS.

Evening Star, Issue 23697, 3 October 1940, Page 8

SHOPPING HOURS.

In tho Statutes Amendment Hill, brought before the House of Representatives in the recent short session, a clause was inserted which has caused apprehension among shopkeepers. It relates to shopping hours. If this legislation becomes Jaw the Arbitration Court will have power to determine the day of the weekly half-holiday and the opening ami closing hours for shops. In addition it would have the right to say whether or not the late shopping night •and Saturday morning trading should be continued. This is a drastic proposal, which could seriously affect those people who are conducting retail businesses. It is not proposed to force tbo Bill through the House at once, for when questioned on the matter the Minister of Labour said it would go to the Labour Bills Committee for the taking of evidence. This will give the shopkeepers who are affected by the proposal time to consult and marshal their arguments where they a. e in opposition, because of the detrimental effect that would bo caused to their businesses if a drastic reduction were made in shopping facilities. During tho debate in the House when the Bill was first introduced Mr C. A. Wilkinson and others pointed out that the business community generally did not know a single thing about the proposal, that it had not been asked for by business organisations; and that in view of

the far-reaching nature of the legislation tho Bill should bo hold over. In these circumstances the Minister could not reasonably have taken any course other than the one he has adopted. The main arguments against tho Government’s proposal are that to dose the shops permanently on Saturday mornings would be a great inconvenience to the general public and tho Inrming community, us well as a serious loss to the shopkeepers, and that to abolish the late shopping night would bo detrimental to tho whole community. It is hard to understand why the Government should have been at pains to produce this piece of legislation, r J her© was no agitation for such u change as that implied. The hours of shop assistants under present conditions are carefully governed. Their working week is lortyfour hours. Surely no one will say that till; is excessive. It is not surprising, therefore, that there is irritation on the part of the shopkeepers and the public over tho proposal to widen the powers of the Arbitration Court in the direction indicated. Especially is this tho case in war time, when vital matters should bo engaging the attention of Parliament.