HOURS FOR SHOPS.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 February 1921, Page 4

HOURS FOR SHOPS.

PROTEST AT NEW CONDITIONS. RESTRICTING BUSINESS. By Telegraph —Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. A protest of small shopkeepers against the recent amendment to the Shops and Offices Act regarding closing was made to the Premier by a deputation representing the Auckland Provincial Shopkeepers’ Association. It was urged that the legislation pressed very heavily on a class of business folk which could ill afford any restriction affecting their income and it would ultimately bring hardship likely to intensify the unemployment problem. Mr. Massey promised he would have the matter brought before Parliament, but he pointed out that he could not in any way pledge himself as to the result of the representations made in the House. PRISONER DROPS DEAD. SUDDEN END IN GAOL HEART FAILURE THE CAUSE. Shortly before ten o’clock on Saturday morning a prisoner at the New Plymouth Gaol, named George Dale, aged 50 years, expired suddenly while engaged in his duties as laundryman. Dale was serving a sentence of five years for an attempted unnatural offence at Rotorua in 1919, having been sentenced in May of that year at Auckland. He was transferred to the New Plymouth Gaol on June, 1919. A verdict of from heart failure was returned at the inquest held yesterday morning, when the report was received of a post mortem examination of the body made by Dr. H. A. McCleland. Other evidence adduced was to the effect that deceased was an industrious prisoner He had enjoyed good health all the time he had been in the New Plymohth Gaol, and had never been under the attention of the gaol medical officer. On Saturday he commenced duties at 6.30 a.m. Part of his work consisted in taking water to the bathroom for the other prisoners when bathing. He was engaged in doing this at about 9.45 for a prisoner named Dane, who called out to him to “hurry up,” and when the door of the bath cell was opened Dale fell in and the other prisoner caught him, thinking he had perhaps taken a fit. He expired almost immediately, and the matter was reported to the gaol officials, who summoned the medical officer (Dr. H. A. McCleland). The prisoner was a single man, and his nearest relatives reside in Parramatta, Australia.