The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-31 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN DRAPERS AS

SOCIATION.

A public meeting of this Association was held yester •
day evening, in the Theatre of the Marylebone Literary
Institution, Edward-street, Portman-square, Commodore
Sir C. Napier in the chair. The theatre was densely
crowded, a great portion of the audience being ladies.
The CHAIRMAN then rose and said—Ladies and Gen-
tlemen, I have been requested this evening to attend this
meeting, in order to assist in every way that we can do
the exertions of the Metropolitan Drapers' Association
in their admirable objects ; more particularly by inducing
the inhabitants of the metropolis to use their endeavours
to assist the drapers in abridging the hours of
business. It must be very evident to every lady and
gentleman here, that without their aid the drapers them-
selves, where competition is so great, cannot put an end
to their late hours, unless they are assisted by the parties
who deal with them. I address myself to the ladies par-
ticularly, because it rests more particularly with them to
change this system. lam reminded by my friend beside
me that the Metropolitan Drapers' Association does not
confine its operations to one class of shepmen, but
that they extend it to all trades in London. It is obvious
that unless ladies and gentlemen unite firmly and de-
terminedly to give the preference to such shops as close
at an early hour, that these young men cannot succeed
in their efforts. You must all be aware that when a
young man sets up in business in any street in London,
it is his object to rise in the world as soon as possible.
But to do this it is necessary that he enters into compe-
tition with richer and more powerful neighbours. In
order to do this it is to be expected that he will keep
open as long as he can, and, therefore again, unless the
ladies show their determination not to encourage the
late hour system, he will continue to keep open ; but if
they once show their disapprobation then the system
is got rid of. lam almost ashamed to say that I have
not paid much attention to this subject, because it had
never before been brought before rue, but I had a book
sent me this morning, which I had just time to read,
and I can recommend it strongly to those who
have not read it. That book tells me that
these young men are engaged from seven in
the morning till ten or eleven o'clock at
night. It is therefore impossible that they can
enjoy either happiness, or comfort, or health—(Hear,
hear)—and the medical men who have studied this sub-
ject show clearly and distinctly, that owing to the hours
they are confined it is a matter of impossibility that they
can enjoy good and sound health. I repeat that it is not
then to be wondered at that persons thus placed, from
one end of the country to the other, in London, as in the
'villages and towns of England, whether engaged in
manufacturers or otherwise, cannot reach a mature age.
You can hardly find a shopkeeper, unless he has reached
the dignity of a conductor, who has turned 35 or 40
years of age. I call on you, therefore, ladies to come
forward and unite in this cause as mach as you possibly
can. Last night in the House of Commons Lord Ashley
brought forward his motion for a ten hours' factory
Bill, and no person who heard him, or read his speech,
but must have felt most strongly the force of his argu-
ments. Even those who opposed him admitted that
those things required a change. When the mill was
started in the morning the poor men, women, and
children employed in it were obliged to remain
for the day, whether they pleased or no. It was
also stated that many men were, in consequence
of the extended laws, thrown out of employment, be-
cause a great part of the work was of that character
that it was more fitted for women and for children.
Unless this Bili is passed, I cannot see that any pro-
tection will remain to these children, and so it is with
the shopmen of this metropolis. Therefore, let you
who are assembled here in this district, as well as those
who are met in the other districts of London, lend your
helping band to compass this good end, and endeavour
to influence your friends also, to give, by an early system
of shop-shutting, an opportunity to the young men em-
ployed to benefit themselves. As placed here, my only
duty is to preserve order while the resolutions are being
moved and seconded, and if any gentleman has anything
to say in opposition or in favour of them, they will be
heard with patient attention. I shall now call upon the
gentleman behind me to move the first resolution.
Mr. LILLWALL said he rose with much pleasure to
express his sentiments on the object which had called
them together. The importance of it, he believed,
was felt by all present. There was certainly one irre-
sistible argument in favour of the object which the
association sought to obtain, that in proportion to the
amount of good there was net a corresponding amount
of evil ; much more, there was a great and invaluable
good without any resulting evil. The reasonableness of
this demand could not be denied. Many might delay
in coming forward to help in advancing the cause, but
no one came forward to oppose them. No one came
forward to say that early closing is impossible. With
nothing against them, they had the most cogent argu-
ments in their favour. Why, when one looked abroad over
this great empire, and considered the extensive in-
fluence which might be exercised over society by one
individual, as, for example, by Wilberforce, and then
consider the importance of the commercial class
in the community, he would feel it impossible
to measure the influence exerted to good effect, which
that class, when improved, would exercise upon society
at large.—(Cheers.) The attainment of their object
would benefit young men ; he had to recollect, however,
that some denied it would. That amazed him, but left
his reason unaffected. They but had experience of the
good effect resulting in many instances where the system
had been adopted. He might name those shops where
baeisdt
to effect—he
it. And he would
t--he might name
employers
had bee w
n adopted phtae
had
lent
h ththeeir
llama Mr. Pearce, of Waterloo House, and Mr. Hitch-
cock, of St. Paul's Church-yard, and Mr. Owen. These
gentlemen, and all others who had taken up the opinion,
said, they had found, in proportion as opportunity had
been given, the men concerned had seized it and gave
evidence of improvement. Under the old system it
was no wonder the young men exhibited little
or no improvement. How could they look for it,
if the time to which they had a right as intellectual and
thinking beings was entirely swallowed up by
the engagements of business ? " If," as the Rev. Hugh
M'Neil had said, " they were reduced to a mechanism in
business, and to an anornalism in enjoyment, was it pos-
sible for them, thus debased, to become elevated in one
ctay ?"—(Hear, hear.) Had those who opposed them on
that subject given the system they advocated a fair trial?
Had they provided the young men with proper sitting-
rooms, and with the convenience and the means for in-
tellectual enjoyment ? When they had done that, they
would find a change immediately in favour of the young
men, and to the honour and advantage of their employers.
—(Cheers.) If a more incontrovertible argument were
necessary, it was that the longer they had existed
as an association, the stronger had the general feeling
throughout the trade and the public become in sympa-
thy with it. An instance had occurred in his own experi-
ence; young man, acolleague of his own, had joined
the association ; his employer called him one evening,
and asked him whether he had any convex on with the
Early-closing Association And upon the young man's
admitting that he had, his employer said that no aaso-
ciation•man should continue in his shop ; and he gave
the young man the option of withdrawing from the as-
aociation, or leaving his employ. Yet that same person,