FACTORY LAWS IN NEW ZEALAND. 
673 
The Shop and Shop Assistants Act, 1894, should be noticed as it 
is worked in conjunction with the Factories Act. It provides that 
“ all shops in a city, borough, or town district, except those wherein 
is carried on exclusively one or more of the businesses of a fishmonger, 
a fruiterer, a confectioner, a coffee-house, or eating-house, or railway 
bookstall-keeper, shall be closed in each week on the afternoon of one 
working day at 1 o’clock. But still those excepted are compelled to 
give every assistant one halt-day in each week. The word “shop” does 
not include any small business carried on by Europeans with the 
assistance of members of their own family under eighteen years of 
age. Goods may also be supplied to vessels arriving in port after 
proscribed hours. "With the local authorities in each district rests 
the decision upon which day of the week the general half-holiday is 
to be held, and if they cannot agree then the Governor in Council must 
decide it. A si write, this week before Christmas, the rival merits of 
Wednesday and Saturday as the general half-holiday for Wellington 
is a theme for vigorous discussion in the correspondence columns of 
the local papers. Those who make a practice of closing on Saturday 
may continue to do so, whatever be the day fixed. In Wellington 
hitherto all drapers and a good many grocers have closed on Wednes- 
days ; some other shops have closed on Saturday, and some have kept 
open every day, giving their assistants the legally prescribed half- 
holiday in turn without closing. It has been a difficult matter for the 
inspector to assure himself that some of these assistants got their half- 
day with any regularity. By this amendment in the Act there will be 
uniformity of practice. 
Shop assistants are entitled to one hour for dinner, and no woman 
or person under eighteen years of age can work for a longer period 
than fifty-two hours in any one week or nine and a-half daily, except 
one day in the week, when eleven and a-half may be done. But no one 
must be employed for more than five consecutive hours without having 
at least half-an-hour for refreshments. Every shopkeeper is required 
to provide proper sitting accommodation for females employed in his 
shop, and not directly or indirectly prohibit or prevent an assistant 
from using a seat w r hen not immediately engaged in her employment. 
All offices aud banks are included in this Act, and their closing hour 
must not he later than 5 daily and 1 on Saturday, but cashiers and 
bookkeepers may balance their books before leaving. For six days 
in the month employees may continue at work, or return to work, 
for not more than three hours. Shipping, tramway, and newspaper 
offices are excepted. Offices are exempt from these regulations 
during two months in each year for the purposes of their half- 
yearly balances. As this Act does not come into operation until 
1st January, 1895, I can give no information as to the carrying out of 
its provisions. 
People often say to me, “ Are not your duties as inspector of 
factories very unpleasant ? Surely the employers resent your visits ?” 
To such queries I can only answer that, after visiting towns and 
country districts throughout the North Island, I have found employers 
not only courteous in their personal treatment, but also most willing 
to adopt any suggestion that could add to the well-being and comfort 
of the women and girls employed. Of the working girls of New 
Zealand I would say that it is a pleasure to look round the larger 
