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It was necessary to caution shopkeepers on some 91 occasions for
serving customers after hours. Host of these contraventions occurred during
the "Winter Hours of Closing" period. Arising out of representations from
certain traders, the Council caused an enquiry to be made amongst representative
organisations of traders and workers, and a token canvass was taken of
all shops in the Borough with respect to late night closing. The result
of this referendum showed a majority of approximately 4 to 1 in favour of
Friday as the late night for closing during the winter months, and the Council
made an Order accordingly,
One retailer was prosecuted for persistently selling goods during prohibited
hours. A penalty of 20s, was imposed, and there is no doubt that
the publicity given to this, the first prosecution under the Shops Act since
the War, has a salutary effect on other shopkeepers. Generally speaking
it can be said that the retailers of the Borough do conform with the provisions
of the Shops Act, but there are still a few on whom it is necessary
to keep continual observations to ensure that they do not indulge in this
unfair means of trading.
PHARMACY AND POISONS ACT, 1933.
The number of persons in the Council's list entitled to sell poisons
included in Part II of the Poisons List was 180 (163 renewals and 17 new
applications),337 inspections were made in the enforcement of this Act,
EXPLOSIVES ACT, 1875,
143 licences (99 renewals and 44 new applications) were issued for
the storage of mixed explosives (fireworks).
Inspections of premises used for this purpose totalled 172.