The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-10-25 00:00:00

EARLY CLOSING

To THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN DAILY TrAts.

SIR-I have this morning received the following
anonymous communication ; and as there is no way of
reaching an anonymous correspondent, except through the
PRESS, perhaps you will allow me to anticipate his threat
of bringing its vengeful power upon my head, by publishing
his letter---the original of which I send you :
" Liverpool, 14th Oct., 1853.

" Mr. Flower,
"Sin—l have passed your Establishment several times
after Seven o'clock in the evening, and it has been in-
variably open, and from the appearance I expect it would
remain so for some time. I have asked myself the question,
is this the same Mr. F. who but a few years since was a
shopman in Mt. Dismore's, in the same street ; and could
write a very good essay on the needs be of early closing,
for a variety of persons, so that young men in shops should
not be slaves. Two copies of the essay I took myself, to
help on the cause. To be consistent, let me beg of you to
look at your old master's shop at Seven o'clock, and if pos-
sible be ashamed of yourself, and do as you wished others
to do, when, you were yourself an employed.
" I am Sin, yours, &c.,
"A LOOKER ON."

P.S.—lf you still keep open after seven, you may hear
from me again through the press.—
Now, Mr. Editor, although I hold that no man is bound
to notice au anonymous letter, and although I could have
wished that this letter had been couched in more respectful.
terms, yet for the sake of the good cause of EARLY cr.osING,
I shew the writer a greater courtesy than he deserves, by
bringing his effusion before the world, and pleading my
defence.

When my anonymous friend refers with so much pathos
to my aged master, does he know that my said master,
good venerable man, has always been, and still is, one of
the sturdiest opponents of the Early Closing Movement ?
Does he know that my venerable master discharged me from
his employ, for no other reason than for my determined and
unflinching advocacy of that movement ? —Does he know
that the present early closing of my venerable master, is
one of the fruits of my labour,—that it has not grown out
of the convictions of his own mind, but is the effect of a great
pressure from without—that movement and that pressure
having indissolubly associated respectability with seven-
o' clock-closing:?— Does he know that after my venerable master
had discharged me, I devoted three months, solely and ex-
clusively, to the work of emancipating the ,shopkeepers'-
assistants from the slavery of late hours in business ; having,
during all that time, two clerks and two messengers con-
stantly employed in the work, attending in the office longer
hours than the assistants were in their shops, and working
harder than most of them in their daily labours ?—Does he
know how many papers were written, printed, and circulated
during that time ? —how many Town Hall sittings by day,
and committees late at night, were then held ?—what public
meetings were got up, and how the eminent speakers thereat
were instructed in the merits of the case, and brought to
lift their voices in favour of the assistants? —Let him refer
to the newspapers of that period, and let-him note some of
the gentlemen who took part in those meetings, whether I
laboured with energy and industry in the cause—l will not
say at what personal sacrifice of time and money.
From the time of commencing business on my own ac-
count, and for eight years my shop was regularly closed at
seven o'clock on every evening of the week, and at all seasons
of the year. When I removed to my present house, new
rivals in trade had sprung up in my immediate neighbour-
hood. After many unsuccessful endeavours to bring them
into the same rule, and finding I lost business by closing,
while others, close by me, kept open, I was at length Com-
pelled, in self-defence, to keep open likewise—thus acting,
by compulsion, contrary to the principles I had always
avowed, and still as strongly entertain. In this I am, as
my anonymous friend desires me to be, " ashamed" of my-
self ; and I am still more ashamed of my neighbours, whose
determined opposition has thus far forced me to depart from
the good rule. But perhaps there is still hope of my refor-
mation, for the difficulties are now lessened—in fact reduced
to one instance of opposition—that instance being one res-
pected firm, my close neighbours, whom I have repeatedly
asked to join me in adhering to the good rule of closing at
seven. I now ask them publicly to do so, and I
pledge myself that if they comply with the request,
I will pumtually observe it. Their trade, I believe,
like my own, does not lie among persons who are likely to
be late purchasers; and whatever respectable competition may
exist, I have no desire to compete with any who may find
their account in cultivating a connexion with the fashionable
inhabitants of Williamson-square, and Hotham-street.—
Those who aim so high may have the field all to themselves
so far as I am concerned. •

I hope I have said enough to satisfy my anonymous cor-
respondent, who has proved himself a friend indeed to early
closing, by the fact of his having spent a shilling upon my
essay—and if he will improve his spelling, and mind his
manners, I shall be happy to aid him in any efforts he may
make towards a more general closing of shops at seven
o'clock. lam, Mr. Editor, yours respectfull
E. FLOWER,
Dold-ktreet. 22nd Oct.. 1853
IW e have reaS,m. to know that the events which Mr.
Flower here records are but kportion of the labours he has
bestowed upon the early closing movement. We know that
for years previous to the period he speaks of, he was ear-
nestly, though not publicly, engaged in the work, and we
believe that his domestic and social enjoyments, and even
his hours of rest, frequently give place to the work which he
had adopted as a duty.—En. N. D. TrmEs.)