BECOMING A CURSE

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12609, 20 November 1926, Page 3

BECOMING A CURSE

ARBITRATION COURT PROBLEM shop exemption"* applications. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, November 19. “I wish they would have the Shops and Offices Act amended so as to remove this exemption business from this court altogether,” said Mr Justice Frazer in the Arbitration Court in dealing with several applications by shopkeepers for permission to observe other than the prescribed hours of business. “It seems to be getting worse and worse,” continued the judge. “How we are expected to know tho circumstances of every shopkeeper in the country I can’t understand. I wish the business people and workers would get together and have this wretched section repealed or handed over to the magistrates or something. We get applications from Waipukurau and Maungatapere, and all sorts of places about which we know nothing. It is becoming a positive curse, and all members of the court are getting tired of it.” None of the applications before tho court was supported by shopkeepers in person, but two of them sent in letters explaining their reasons. One writer stated he enclosed a moneyorder for 3s, and trusted the court would favourably consider his application. “That is not a bribe,” explained his Honour, pausing as he read, “it is only customary fee.” Mr W. E. Sill, who appeared for the Butchers’ Union to oppose another application, said he held that the court had no jurisdiction to deal with it.

“I sincerely hope you are right,” rejoined the judge. His Honour went on to suggest that the Act should be amended by defining city zones in which shops might keep open till 5.30 p.m., suburban zones in which they might keep open till 6 p.m., and country zones with no limitation except of the hours within which assistants might be employed, [f this were done he said it should be possible to abolish exemptions altogether. He supposed that Labour organisations did not oppose a small shopkeeper who was attempting to get out of what some of them called the “wage slave” class, though probably it would be better if some of these shopkeepers were working for someone else. Tne object of the Act was to ensure that small suburban shops should bo allowed to keep their own. proper class of business without trenching on that of others. Clearly if a shopkeeper were compelled to close at 5.30 p.m. when most of his customers were working people living near who could not return from the city by that hour he was being prevented from carrying on his proper business, and in effect the city shops were trenching on his business.

Mr S. E. Wright, representing the Employers’ Association, smilingly suggested that the court might mate the awards and prescribe the hours of work that were specified in the Shops and Offices Act. His Honour: No, the Act should be amended. Wo cannot administer it, we are only tinkering with it. If the parties will get together and start a movement to have it altered they will have our sincerest blessing.