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Shops Acts, 1912-28.—Pour hundred and thirty-eight
visits were made for the purpose of observing contraventions
of the Acts, advising shopkeepers regarding the Regulations
in force, and in cases of complaints. In four cases legal
proceedings were instituted, with the following results:—
(a) For failing to close shop on weekly half-holiday.
Fined 10s. and £1 Is. Od. costs.
(b) For failing to close shop on weekly half-holiday.
Case dismissed on payment of 4s. Court Costs.
(c) For failing to close shop on weekly half-holiday.
Case dismissed on payment of 10s. Court Costs.
(d) (1) For failing to give assistant weekly half-holiday.
Fined 10s. and 10s. Costs.
(2) For failing to affix Assistant's Weekly Halfholiday
Notice. Fined 10s.
Three of these offences were committed during holiday
periods notwithstanding the fact that each defendant had
been previously advised of the provisions of Orders in force
in the district. Your officers are always willing to give
information respecting this matter, yet offenders continually
plead ignorance of the law and make no attempt to seek
official advice.
Happily these instances are few, the Acts being particularly
well observed throughout the district.
The type of offender most difficult to detect is the case
of the "mixed" shop, where exempted and non-exempted
goods are sold. Observations are kept over long periods
without an offence being detected, whilst at the same time
it is believed that breaches of the Act are being committed.
It is more in the nature of an accident that an offender is
caught red-handed and in such a case it is usually followed
by a plea of a first offence.
The hawkers who come into the district on the weekly
half-holiday have received considerable attention during the
year, and quite a number have received written warnings
from the department that further contraventions would result
in proceedings being taken against them.
As in previous years, the Home Secretary made an Order
suspending the operation of the general Early Closing Order
from 18th to 23rd December, inclusive. This did not, of
course, relieve occupiers of the obligation to comply with the
Weekly Half-Holiday Order in force, and, as a consequence,
a number of enquiries were dealt with by the Public Health
Department.
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