CIGARETTES ON SUNDAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3746, 26 January 1928, Page 1

CIGARETTES ON SUNDAY.

SALES AS A SIDE-LINE. COMING RESTRICTIONS. The amendment to the Shops and Offices Act made by Parliament lasi session to restrict the sale of tobacco and cigarettes as a side-line will come into force on February 1. It will compel fruiterers, greengrocers, or confectioners who stock cigarettes to observe the business hours of tobacconists. The signatures of three-quarters of the tobacconists in each city or borough will be required for the requisition enabling the closing hours to be fixed and the decision will be binding on competitors with the . regular trade irrespective of the quantity of smoking goods that is handled. The real effect will be that dozens of confectioners will abandon the sale of cigarettes since a stock on the premises would necessitate closing at about 6 p.m. from Monday until Thursday and would render it illegal to open for the sale of soft drinks or tea on Sunday. Many confectioners who have taken the risk of a surreptitious after-hour business in cigarettes will have to either give up this line or sacrifice their evening trade. Tobacconists are hopeful that the will improve the trade of those' who deal exclusively in smoking requisites. All-hour trading as a sideline by confectioners and price-cutting by fancy goods shops has, it is asserted, reduced the business of the Auckland tobacconist considerably.