THE SHOP HOURS AGITATION. Wellington, July 7.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 280, 11 July 1888, Page 4

THE SHOP HOURS AGITATION. Wellington, July 7.

Considerable opposition has been shown by the employers of labour in various parts of bhe colony to the Shop Hours Bill, and members have been asked to use every effort to prevent its passage in the form in which it was originally introduced. In older to meet most of the objections raised and to ensure its passage Mr Joyce had the Bill considerably amended, bub when the modifications were pronounced opposition tomewhat unexpectedly came from the quarter which had been most favourable to the Bill, and who threatened to withdraw their support unless they got the measure as originally dratted. Mr Joyco has had hi& spare time taken up in inlying to this somewhat unexpected opposition. Mr W. P. Osrilvie, of Auckland, has wired advising him that if he wants the principle of early closing affirmed by Parliament he must be thankful for any concessions in that direction, and advising him that the Bill in its oiiginal fortr\ would nob pass. Mr Chisholm (Scoullar and Chisholm), who represents the Dunodin objectors, has boon asked to suspend his judgment till the receipt of a letter now being forwarded to him, and is assured that the temper of the House is dead against the Bill in its original form. In his letter Mr Joyce makes the following remarks, which should be carefully weighed by those whose interests are likely to be affected by the Shop Hours agitation :-—" I fancy that you have been hasty in giving expressions adverse to the proposed amendment. The Bill as originally printed would not pass the House of Representatives, but with the new Section 5 exempting resident a embers of the employers family from the provisions of the Act, a clause taken from an Imperial Act, passed in 1886, most of the opposing members would nob object to Section 6, ; which provides that one employee out of every five may remain after the prescribed hours, meets the request of many Dunedin friends who ask that bhe heads of departments should have the privilege of going back to prepare indents and pricing goods, etc. Furthermore it would be a check upon the family at home, a man having any greater show than his neighbour who did nob live upon the premises. Politics are but a aeries of compromises. If our cause be a righteous one, then let us get what we can. The trades excepteJ from the Bill are taken from the Victorian Act, and you may be certain that New Zealanders will be as liberal as the Australians when dealing with the public in limiting the hours ol labour. The Dunedin Committee have missed bhe kernel of the amendments. It lies in section 12, which provides for local option to determine whether the Act shall be applied. Let this section become law, and Dunedin or any other town can do just what it pleases. Your wholesale houses or the chemists can have different hours, and in time all places could close ab2 p.m. or 6p.m. on Saburdays." In conclusion, Mr Joyce admits that owing to the time spent on consideration of the tariff, it will be impossible to carry his Bill or any other important private legislation this session. He is confident, however, of having bho principle of the measure affirmed, the Premier having promised to grant facilities for its reading. The "Evening Press" says that the Bill is an outrage on common sense, and asks when will our public men acquire that highest public quality, the faculty of letting people alone.