THE SHOPS AND OFFICES ACT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24415, 28 September 1940, Page 10

THE SHOPS AND OFFICES ACT

Mr Wilkinson, member for Egmont, is plainly—and in all probability rightly—suspicious of a recent proposal on the part of the Minister of Labour to secure an amendment of the Shops and Offices Act, and is directing the attention of local bodies to the danger which, as he conceives it, would attend the adoption of this proposal. The local bodies are definitely interested in the administration of the Shops and Offices Act, particularly in relation to the day on which the statutory weekly half-holiday shall be held. The proposal which the Minister has in mind was contained in a clause in the Statutes Amendment Bill, introduced in the House last month. On the face of it the clause was quite innocuous. It proposed to repeal a section of the existing law and to substitute for it another section which appeared, on the surface, merely to involve a change of phraseology. But these seemingly innocuous clauses are sometimes charged with a sinister purpose. There may be a hidden design behind them—a design which the author of the proposal is not frank enough to disclose. And apprehensions lest this might be the case in this instance led to inquiries concerning the object of the proposed amendment. The inquiries produced only evasive replies which led to opposition to the clause of such a character that the Prime Minister agreed to withdraw it. The Minister of Labour stated, however, that the clause would be proposed in another form when Parliament should resume. Why should it be so proposed if there is not some special but so far undisclosed object in view? Mr Wilkinson has hazarded an explanation which may or may not be correct, but in any event merits public attention. He suggests that the real purpose of the Minister’s proposal is, through the instrumentality of the Court of Arbitration, to secure the permanent closing of shops on Saturday mornings, to abolish the late shopping nights, and to make the Satui’day halfholiday compulsory. This would imply that Mr Webb has endeavoured, by means that would deceive all but the most alert, to effect a drastic change in the whole social habit of the community. It is highly desirable that the electors should be impressed with a sense of the dangers that may lurk in legislation promoted by Ministers like Mr Webb, in whom they have never had reason to repose much confidence, and Mr Wilkinson is to be commended upon the steps he is taking to warn them of the need of the exercise by them of vigilance in the protection of their liberties.