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of view. Another point is that the Right Hon. Mr. Seddon has asked me on three or four different occasions to give him some sort of a definition of " fruiterer," and what they should be allowed to sell. He has admitted that they should be exempted, but the difficulty seems to be as to what shall constitute a fruiterer. The fruiterers themselves think the definition should include the sale of green and fresh fruit, preserved fruit, nuts, confectionery, aerated drinks, vegetables, and flowers. There is no doubt that the trade had been affected more or less by the legislation enforcing early closing of fruit and other shops. My position here this morning is to urge the greatest good to all. We would like to urge our position in this matter with regard to the shop-assistants, which is the most crucial point. We say emphatically that no fruiterer could properly carry on his business if his assistants had to leave at 6 o'clock at night, and we think that fruiterers and their assistants should be allowed to mutually arrange at what time the assistants should come and go, provided that a weekly half-holiday is given, and not more than fifty-two hours worked in any one week, so that a master or mistress should not be interfered with or have to do work at night any more than the servant. We want to put both on an equal footing. If one works one evening the other could work the next. We ask for fair play, so that we could mutually change as long as the assistant does not work more than the prescribed hours and get the usual holiday. We would ask you gentleman to try and make the law so that it will assist in bringing together the employer and employee, and not setting them at variance. That is the desire of the fruiterers of Auckland. 5. Mr. Kirkbride.] A very important statement was made by a Christohurch witness : he said the shopkeepers were prepared to keep a time-book for the Inspector to see. Would the fruiterers of Auckland be prepared to keep a time-book ?—Yes ; as president of our association I will guarantee that. _ 6. Mr. Alison.] I want to ask whether in the table submitted in your evidence, in which you say you only included marketable fruit in Auckland, if you included the fruit in the suburban towns that did not percolate into Auckland ? —Yes, all the suburban boroughs round Auckland, but not the consumption at places like Whangarei, Matakana, and others, which would materially add to the figures given. 7. Has the Shop Act been enforced in the combined district of Auckland so far as fruit is concerned ? —Practically not to any extent. 8. Has any fruit-shop been closed ?—Yes ; but unfortunately fruit-shops have not been defined. Some are fruit-shops with other occupations combined. We have suggested what should constitute a fruit-shop, and that would get over the difficulty. 9. Then, in respect of fruit-shops proper, the Act has not been enforced ? —No. 10. Are many fruit-shops in Auckland run by Chinamen ?—There are a few run by Chinamen and Assyrians. 11. Can you tell us approximately how many Chinamen run fruit-shops in Auckland ?—About six probably, and then there are the Assyrians. 12. About how many fruit-shops are there in Auckland ?—About one hundred and fifty, and about twelve altogether are run by aliens. 13. Do you think there should be any restrictions, so far as fruit-shops are concerned, in the way of early closing ? —I think not. If you interfere with fruit-shops you are trying to upset nature. I think that is the best answer I can give you. 14. Before the Shops and Offices Bill of 1904 was made law did you ever hear any complaint from the employees or the public with regard to the hours that the shops were kept open ?—No ; I have inquired, and been told by a number of shop-assistants that they never asked for the inclusion of fruitshops in the Bill, and never wished it. 15. Mr. Bollard.] With regard to the return you put in, it includes the amount of fruit marketed in Auckland and the suburban boroughs ?—Yes ; about one-third is shipped away. 16. What is the area of the orchards ? —They vary from 60 acres downwards. 17. Are you aware that nearly half of the orchards of the colony are in the Auckland Provincial District ? —Yes. As far as I can ascertain, about 50 per cent, of the income of the people north of Auckland in the fruit-growing districts is derived from this source, outside the natural products of gum, timber, coal, cement, &c. 18. How long have you been connected with the fruit trade ? —Twenty-five years. I introduced the Island fruit, to a great extent, south of Auckland. 19. The We want evidence on the Bill ?—This question affects it. We distributed forty-five thousand pounds' worth of fruit last year from the Islands in the Auckland district. 20. How is the Bill going to affect the sale of that quantity ?—lt would affect it in this way : that 50 per cent, of this fruit is sold after 6 o'clock in the evening, perhaps more. 21. Mr. Bollard.] What the fruiterers of Auckland practically want is to go back to the same state of things that existed before the Act came into force—they want no restriction in the matter of hours ?—No restriction of hours outside the number the law allows them to work. 22. And you want to regulate the hours of the shop-assistants so that they should not exceed a reasonable number ?—Yes ; even, if you reduce the hours to fifty-two a week it would be better than restriction. 23. You said something about 50 per cent, of the natural products in value came from fruit ?— Yes, in the fruit-growing districts ; and if you legislate as suggested these people will have to leave their lands or go into some other occupation which the land is not fit for ; and there is quite a number of districts in the North where, if you injure the fruit trade, you will injure the producers as well as the consumers of the country. In the near future a considerable area in the North of Auckland will be one vast orchard i E the industry is not interfered with.