THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. TUESDAY, JULY 9, 1901.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 173, 9 July 1901, Page 2

THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. TUESDAY, JULY 9, 1901.

Having put its hand to the plough in the matter of labour legislation, the New Zealand Government evidently has no desire to turn back. On Friday last the Shops and Offices Bill, which has been launched in the Legislative Council, was circulated. A glance at the new provisions shows that the extended working hours permitted in connection with stock taking in shops are to be paid for at half as much again as the ordinary rate, but this overtime

payment shall not be less than fid an hour for assistants whose wages do not exceed 10s weekly, nor less than 9d in the case of any other assistant. The section which exempts fishmongers, fruiterers, confectioners, railway station bookstall-keepers from observing the statutory closing day is made subject to important limitations. Any one of the four excepted businesses that is carried on, in conjunction with a business jaot thus excepted comes within 1 the scope of the closing provisions. Further the exemption given to the four businesses is not to affect the. right of any shop employed in any such business to a half holiday on any working day selected by the occupier. It is provided that where an office assistant is lawfully employed after hours according to the statutory exemptions a messenger or caretaker may be employed to attend on him. The exemptions referred to are :—(a) A cashier engaged in balancing bis cash books; (b) a ledger keeper balanc - ing his ledger ; (c) an office assistant engaged in half-yearly or yearly balance ; and (d) an office assistant clearing up arrears of work. The last two and the messenger are to be paid for work done after hours at time and a-half, with a minimum of Is an hour. In the case of wholesale warehouses the Bill proposes to close them at 1 o’clock on Saturday (or such day as the district observes for its statutory halfholiday), and 6 o’clock on other working days, and they miist be locked or otherwise effectively closed against the admission of the public. The half-holiday is to be paid for at the same rate as working days. Extended hours are permitted for stock-taking in wholesale warehouses, to be paid for at time and a half, with a minimum of Is an hour. For sanitation purposes a sufficient supply of fresh drinking viater must be provided for the free use of the persons employed in shops, offices, and warehouses. In food shops doing business in any article for human consumption, such as bread, meat, milk, and confectionery, the inspector may, on suspicion as to the state of the health of any give notice to the latter to submit himself for medical examination. The employee and the occupier shall, after the giving of the notice, be liable to a penalty of £2 a day if the employee does any work in or about the shop until he has received a medical certificate that the state of his health is not likely to convey disease germs or other contamination to the food. The employees in shops, warehouses and offices have long felt that they were not receiving the same legislative attention as their brothers in other walks of life. If this Bill passes, as in amended form it is almost certain to do, the grounds for such complaints will be swept away.