1.—9.

6

[j T. MILLINGTON.

working from 9in the morning till 6at night. We have reduced our assistants by one-half. We have seven or eight fewer hands in the shop at present than we had two months ago. The hands in the workroom have also been reduced one-half. Where we had from twenty to twenty-five previously we have now from ten to twelve. I would point out to you that under the old condition of things we did a good deal to improve Vivian Street, and a good deal of what money we have made we put into the premises in the way of improvements. This was to maintain our position as business people; but it will probably mean that we shall have to move out of Vivian Street. As far as the hands are concerned, they are well satisfied with the arrangement that held good before the Act came into force. A few months ago, when we were closing at 9 o'clock in the evening, I advertised for a junior assistant in the shop. I had between fifty and sixty applications within half a dozen hours, or less than that. Every day we have applications, either from the workers themselves or from their parents, for positions in the business, both workroom and shop. Instead of enterprise being encouraged, we are restricted. We have to refuse these applicants, and, in fact, we have to dismiss old and faithful servants on account of the curtailment of business. A good deal of our business has been done with girls employed in town —in offices and other businesses. They cannot conveniently do their shopping in their dinner-hour —at any rate, not up our end of the town —and the consequence is that we are losing a good deal of that trade, because they do not want to have to set apart all their Saturday afternoons for shopping. Another thing I should like to point out. We have a good many travelling companies coming round at present —in fact, they are always coming round here —but these companies, at the Opera House and elsewhere, have been doing better business since the early-closing law has been in force than they ever did before —that is, taking the average. You will find that the Opera House and other places of amusement are taking a good deal of the money that was spent at the shops by the people in their leisure time after 6 o'clock before the ri*ew Act came into operation. I can give facts and figures to prove these statements. Many of the married women in town cannot conveniently do their shopping before 6 o'clock, because they have their family duties to attend to, and they used to take the opportunity of doing their shopping when their husbands came home. If they are to do their shopping before 6 it rushes them, and it is not satisfactory to them or the shopkeepers. I know a great number of customers'who have spoken very feelingly on this matter. Richard Brown examined. (No. 13.) 22. The Chairman.] What is your occupation? —Bookseller. I find that having to close at 6 o'clock makes a considerable difference in the sale of our periodicals. Not knowing, of course, that this compulsory closing was to come about, our orders had been as large as or larger than usual —growing every month —and we find now that the unsold copies are piling up, and we have no returns with these periodicals. The result is that we find we are suffering a dead loss —stacks of magazines unsold that used to be sold to the shipping people —people off vessels arriving after 6 o'clock, and railway trains arriving in the evening. The only opportunity that the officers and men had of getting into town to make their purchases is now closed to them, and the result is that newspapers and magazines that we should otherwise have sold to these men are now lying on our shelves, and being offered at any price that we can get for them, or so-much a pound as waste-paper. I have brought no figures with me, unfortunatel}', as I did not hear of this meeting until just a little while before I came here; but there can be no possible doubt that the returns have fallen off considerably. At a public meeting the other day we stated that the average falling off in cash sales was estimated at 25 per cent., and I think that is well within the mark. If any member of the Committee would like to come to my business premises, 31, Willis Street, I could show him stacks of unsold papers and magazines. They will be presented gratis to members who like to call for them. Joseph Paterson Shand examined. (No. 14.) 23. The Chairman.] What is your occupation? —I am a bookseller and stationer. 24. You are a member of the association? —Yes. 25. Will you make a statement? —My statement is, briefly, this: I certainly have not any figures for the past year to go upon, because I have recently taken over a business from Messrs. Gordon and Gotch, as a bookseller, stationer, and newsagent. I have only had it for seven months, but since I have been compelled to close at 6 o'clock —from the 11th May —I have had a falling-off of about £25 per month in ray business. This is a very serious matter. When I purchased this new business I took upon myself certain obligations, and I am looking to my future with a certain amount of uneasiness on. account of this Act. I handle, I presume, about the largest number of dated papers in Wellington. I have a shipment from London weekly, and I also handle the leading Australian papers. I used to sell a good number of these in the evening after 6 o'clock to visitors—the floating population that comes to Wellington through its being a large shipping port. People who come from England will naturally buy from me the London papers, to give them information concerning Home matters, and the same with Australian people. The result of the operation of the Act has been that I have to a great extent had to reduce my orders and cut down my supplies', and to me it has been a considerable loss. lam prepared to show my books to any member of this Committee who would like to inspect them, in order to prove that when I say I am losing business to the extent of £25 a month I am stating a much lower figure—in fact, I find the difference in my business, comparing May with April, is actually £34; but I reckon that on an average it is about £25 per month that lam losing. I may state that recently I employed a man, but I have found it necessary to dispense with his services and take on a girl in his place, because I could not afford to keep him.