The laws which regulate retail shops do not aim at securing what is known as early closing.  A weekly half-holiday for all, employer and employed alike; a fifty-four hours’ working week for women and young persons; seats for shop girls, and liberty to use them; sanitary inspection of shops.  These were the objects of those who framed the acts, and these have been attained.  Under a special section merchants’ offices must close at 5 o’clock p.m. during two-thirds of each month.  On the weekly half-holiday shops in towns must be closed at 1 o’clock, but each town chooses its own day for closing.  Nearly all choose Wednesday or Thursday, so as not to interfere with the Saturday market-day of the farmers.  Much feeling was stirred up by the passing of this Act, but it has since entirely died away.

Until 1894 the legal position of Trade Unionists in New Zealand was much less enviable than that of their brethren in England.  The English Act of 1875 repealing the old Labour Conspiracy law and modifying the common law doctrine relating thereto, had never been enacted in New Zealand.  The Intimidation law (6 George IV.) was still in force throughout Australasia; the common law doctrine relating thereto had not been in any way softened.  Within the last few years Australian Trade Unionists had found the old English law unexpectedly hunted up for the purpose of putting them into gaol.  Three short clauses and a schedule, passed in 1894, swept from the Statute-Book and the common law of New Zealand all laws and doctrines specially relating to conspiracy among members of Trades Unions who in future will only be amenable to such conspiracy laws as affect all citizens.

In New Zealand most domestic servants and many farm hands and gardeners are engaged through Servants’ Registry Offices.  A law, passed in 1895, provides for the inspection of these, and regulates the fees charged therein.  Office-keepers have to be of good character; have to register and take out a license; have to keep books and records which are officially inspected.  They are not allowed to keep lodging-houses or to have any interest in such houses.

To certain students the most interesting and novel of the New Zealand labour laws is that which endeavours to settle labour disputes between employers and Trade Unions by means of public arbitration instead of the old-world methods of the strike and the lock-out.  Under this statute, which was passed in 1894, the Trade Unions of the Colony have been given the right to become corporate bodies able to sue and be sued.  In each industrial locality a Board of Conciliation is set up, composed equally of representatives of employers and workmen, with an impartial chairman.  Disputes between Trade Unions and employers—­the Act deals with no others—­are referred first of all to these Boards.  The exclusion of disputes between individuals, or between unorganized workmen and their masters, is grounded on the belief that such