Llais Llafur - 25th July 1914
The inspector of shops, recently appointed by the Pontardawe and other Councils jointly, is at present busily engaged in making arrangements for the putting into force of the New Shops Act. The Ystalyfera traders generally, are strongly in favour of closing their establishments at 10 p.m. on Saturdays, but this does not appear to be the case in other parts of the Valley, and at Pontardawe the drapers want the closing time for Saturdays to be fixed at 11 p.m. It is very doubtful whether the latter will gain sufficient in the way of trade to warrant this arrangement, but as the canal bargeman said, "everybody should know their own business best." In this, as in most other things, the general public have the final voice, and if people - and especially the ladies - would endeavour to shop early the proposed arrangement would soon fall through. There was a general consensus of opinion that public houses should he closed at 10 p.m. in order to give those engaged in these places more leisure, and what applies to public house employees applies with greater force to shop assistants.