SWEATING COMMISSION.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 462, 12 April 1890, Page 4

SWEATING COMMISSION.

EARLY CLOSING QUESTION. J. JVI. McLACHLAN’S EVIDENCE. Auckland, April 5. When the members of the Sweating Commission resumed their labours on Thursday evening, no witnesses were in attendance, but after a short interval Mr J. M. McLachlan out in an appearance and said he wished to make a statement, chiefly in regard to the earlv closing movement. Mr John M. McLachlan said he was a draper carrying on business in Queen street, and that he thought from his experience his opinion on early closing might be valuable. He had been in business in Auckland for over 20 years, and for some years kept open late. For the last 15 years closed at 6 o’clock in deference to the views of the Early Closing Association. The result of early closing in Queen-street was the opening of shops in the suburbs, which kept open late and took a good deal of the business. Had lost both day and night trade of many customers, and had no doubt that if lie

kept open late he would get many back. He was not an advocate of early closing, for it was a convenience for people to be able to shop after seven. At the same time he was convinced, in the interests of health, that early closing would be of great value, and he was equally convinced that it must be effected by legislation. He considered such legislation would bo no interference with the liberty of the subject, and would be glad to be bound by some law regulating hours. He could nob understand members of Parliament not passing such law when the majority of thoso interested, the shopkeepers themselves, were in favour of them. He even thought that shops might be licensed, because many went into trade without knowledge and without capital, and hence the number of bankruptcies. Undue composition was sure to result in disaster, and had resulted in such disaster in Auckland. During the first few years of his business there were between 20 and 30 drapers, chiefly in Queen-street; bub now the number in and around Auckland was nearly 300. The result of this competition would be that people would keep open later and later, and the only remedy was legislation. He tboughtthclawshouldaffect persons working for themselves, as well as employers, of labour. He spoke of course more particularly as to the drapery trade. Looking at the licensing of hotels, hawkers and others, he felt sure that licensing was of greab.value as tending to raise the tone of the business Some businesses might be excepted from the operation of the law. He thought the reason why fruit shops kept open was that there were a number of people about in the evening with money to spend. .Moreover, he thought it was more convenient to the public to shop late at night, but if the shopkeepers consulted only the interests of the public they would never get any rest. In 1889 he did about one-third of the trade ho did in 1869, though he now had double the stock, and the difference he ascribed chiefly to his formerly closing lato and now

closing early. The Commissioners then adjourned bill Tuesday morning next, and if no witnesses are in attendance before Wednesday evening their labours in Auckland will probably bo closed.