The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-31 00:00:00

EARLY CLOSING ASSOCIATION.

The twenty-fifth annual meeting of the members
of this association t•aok place last night at the Lon-
don Coffee-house, Ludgate-hill, Mr. James Harvey,
of the firm of Betram, Harvey; and Co., Gresham-
street, occupying the chair. Mr. henry Walker,
the secretary, read an abstract of the report for the
past year, which was of a highly satisfactory cha-
racter, showing that the object of the association is
making rapid strides, not only in the metropolis but
in most of the large towns of the provinces. Both
in the east and west of London there was a general
disposition amongst most trades to adopt early
closing and the Saturday half-holiday. The special
operations commenced in July last for extending
the latter boon to employes were producing very
good results, having been greatly assisted by the
ladies' committee organised by thelluchess of Suther:
land, and a work written by the Rev. Newman
Hall under the title of " Arguments for a SatUrday
Half-Holiday." No less than 100 illustrated pla-
cards inviting the public to abstain from shopping
after two o'clock on Saturdays had also been posted
at different street stations, and the committee were
well satisfied with the results this appeal had already
produced. Many additions had been made to the
number of wholesale City houses that close at two
on Saturdays, and six on other days, while the last
Christmas holiday was generally carried out through
the exertions of the association to secure uniformity
in the day selected for that purpose. The income of
the association proper had been £1,414 53. 7d., and
the expenditure left a balance in favour of the asso-
ciation of £29 odd. The subscriptions to the special
Saturday half-holiday fund amounted to £598 125.,
of which about £2OO remained in hand ; but there
were outstanding liabilities on this account of £175.
The chairman in his address said he could hardly
realise the change which had taken place since the
commencoment of the movement, 25 years ago,
when the association-was first called into existence.
Then the City hours were nine, ten, and eleven
o'clock, and on Saturdays still later ; but now,
thanks to the exertions of the association, the
custom was likely to become universal of closing at
six, and adopting the Saturday half-holiday. It
seemed to him as if he were living in a different
age- Nor had this great revolution been. attended
by any of the vil consequences at first predicted.
Another gratifying feature was this : formerly the
association depended for its funds upon the em-
ployers, now the young men were the principal con -
tributors, having subscribed something like £1,089
of the last year's income. The report was unani-
mously adopted, after which the retiring members
of the committee were re-elected, and the proceed-
ings closed with a cordial vote of thanks to the
ch airman.

FIRE AT AIILE-END.—Last night a fire occurred
in a private house in Henry-street, Mile-end, and
before it was subdued two children of one of the lodgers
were severely injured by the flames. For some time it
was thought that the children mist perish, but they were
eventually rescued by the firemen, but not until they had
sustained such injuries that the medical gentleman has
pronounced their liyeg to be in great peril.