CLOSING OF SHOPS

Taupo Times, Volume III, Issue 112, 19 March 1954, Page 1

CLOSING OF SHOPS

LABOUR DEPT. INFORMATION A letter from the District OfFicer Mr J. McGlone, Department of Labour, Rotorua, by the Taupo Businessmen's Association, gives information in connection with the closing of shops. The letter is as follows: — "Shops that have been granted permission to remain open on Saturday may continue to do so, but only provided they close for half a day on Thursday, and close from 1 p.m. onwards on a Saturday. This second condition is automatic,, because the Shops and Offices Act does not give the Court power to exempt any occupier from the observance of the statutory closing day, which for Taupo is now Saturday. "Shops that have been granted permission to open on some statutory holidays are affected by the change in the statutory closing day, to the extent that, if any holiday falls on a Saturday, the shop must still close as from 1 p.m. onward. "The Shops and Officesi Act gives the occupier of any shop, affected by the granting of an exemption to another shop, the right at any time to apply to the Court for the cancellation or variation of an Order. Thus, if circumstances in Taupo have altered since these first exemptions were granted, and to the extent that they may now be felt to be operating unfairly, then the proper course to adopt would be for an application to be made, under Section 19 (7) of the Shops and Offices Amendment Act 1927, for their cancellation or variation. "At the same time fresh application could be lodged by any occupiers, including the original ones, for exemption from the closing hour provisions of either the Grocers or Retail Shop Assistants Award. "Shops covered by either the Grocers or Retail Shop Assistants Award cannot on any account open on Saturdays or statutory holidays without an exemption having been granted by the Court, and whether they employ staff or not. "Shops that are not required to close must not sell lines normally sold by those who must close. "The shops that are able to open on Saturdays without restriction, and which do not have to observe the statutory closing day as from 1 p.m. onward, are those engaged exelusively in one or more of the following businesses : — fishmonger, fruiterer, confectioner, florist, dairy produce seller, news agent (but not stationery), baker, tearoom, milk bar."