The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-28 00:00:00

EARLY CLOSING OF SHOPS.

A meeting was held on Tuesday, in Shouldham-street
Chapel, Bryanston.square, of persons interested in the
above object, for the purpose of considering the pro-
priety of taking steps to carry it out in the district of
Alarylebone. The meeting, although held at the late
hour of half-past nine o'clock, was but thinly attended.
Mr. Wheatley was called to the chair.
The CHAIRMAN opened the business of the evening, by
observing upon the effect which late hours of business
had upon the morals of assistants, and said that while it
had a prejudicial effect upon them, it produced no good
to the employers.—(bear.) The same, or indeed a
greater amount of business might be done in less time,
than was now given to business, if there was only a
union amongst tradesmen to close their shops at earlier
hours than at present they were in the habit of doing.
The object of the present meeting was to form an Asso-
ciation in that district of the metropolis, which would
act iu conjunction with the Parent Association, and thus,
by mutual action, effect the end which was so ardently
desired by assistants, and which, whether it was to be
regarded in a moral, a social, or pecuniary point of view,
was calculated to benefit the employers as much as the
employed.—(Hear.)
Mr. BENGOUGH, from the Drapers' Association, then
proposed a resolution, which was to the effect that late
hours of business were detrimental to the morals of the
assistants in shops ; and that the various relations of life
could not be properly maintained so long as this great
evil existed.

Mr. SAVAGE, in supporting the resolution, accounted
for the paucity of attendance at the meeting by observ-
ing that the shops in the neighbourhood did not close
until an extremely late hour. This was the grievance
which they were that evening met to endeavour to re-
medy. There was really no argument in favour of late
hours of business. It was decidedly injurious to the
mental and physical attributes of the assistant, and it was
in no way beneficial to the employers.—(Hear.) Look
at the assistants in shops. What were they doing at
night ? Why, listlessly whiling away their time, waiting
for, not upon, customers.—(Hear.) This was a fact that
was known to every one who looked into shops in the
evening. The drapers of the metropolis had, generally
speaking, assented to the principle of closing their shops
at an earlier hour than usual, and this had induced the
assistants in other shops to make common cause with
their co-assistants, and, by union, effect for all what
had been gained by a particular class.—(Hear, hear.)
Their purpose was not one of combination, but a desire
that the employer and the employed should, by a mutual
understanding, come to a determination to adopt a plan
which would be satisfactory to both, and by which, the
convenience of the public would also be consulted.—
(Hear.) With the view of effecting this desirable end,
it was intended to hold meetings in the different districts
of the metropolis, and when the feeling of the great
body of shopkeepers and the assistants had been ascer-
tained, then to call an aggregate meeting, when some
definitive hour might be determined when trades-
men generally would close their shops throughout
the metropolis.—(Hear.) It had been clearly as-
certained that the expenses of keeping open shops
at night were more than the profit obtained thereby,
so that there was in reality no reason why shops should
be kept open. He was glad to see that the clergy
were now adopting early hours for the duties connected
with the Church.—(A laugh.) The higher classes also
were making early hours fashionable, so that he hoped
the great bulk of the people would be induced to imitate
the example thus set them by people in high life.—
(Hear.) He trusted also that the time was not far dis-
tant when the Legislature would commence their Legis-
lative functions about twelve o'clock in the day instead
of five o'clock i❑ the afternoon. Upon every ground,
both morally and socially, he gave the resolution his best
support.—(Hear.)
The resolution was then adopted.
Upon the motion of Mr. MARSH it was next resolved
that persons having authority from the Parent Society
should be autherLed to obtain funds from persons in the
district who were favourable to the object in view, in
order that it might be successfully carried out.
The motion being seconded, it was adopted, as was
also another, by which the persons present were enrolled
members of the district association.

Thanks having been given to the Chairman, the meet-
ing separated.