New-York tribune., 1882-02-21
SEATS FOR THEIR EMPLOYES.

LA
WHAT THE REPRESENTATIVES, OF SEVERAL WELL
KNOWN HOUSES SAY AS TO THE TREATMENT OF
| sALEswoMEN.
Justice Kibreth issued warrants on Saturday for
the arrest Of seven merchants members of the firms
of r. H. Macy Il Co, Simpson, Crawford * Smp"
son and Daniel & Son. for violating the law rcqulr-
ing seats to be provided for saleswomen. Repre-
seDtativcS of these firms appeared in the Jefferson
Market Police Court in answer to the summonses ana
were paroled for examination, which VIII take
place on Tuesday. A TRIBUNE reporter visited
members of the three business houses summoned by
the Court and also members Of other houses EN-
plOying large numbers Of SaleSWOmcn, 10 ger thelT
opinions in regard to the matter. and TO ina out
what effect the arrest of the seven persons men
toned above had had g., or
j. b. Wheeler of r.. IT. Macy & Co.. said: THAT
whole business the result of mis- apprehenslon
The statement that salcswomen are not alIo"ed 10
sit down is not true. They always have been al
| 10 we'd TO do So when they are not waiting on
customers and vou see them for yourself sitting
down in different parts of the store now There are
a few stools, but more use boxes that are showed
under the counters out of the girls wav when not
in use, and cannot he seen unless person looks
closely. We have been considering dliierent pllns
for providing better seats than the boxes Tor wear
We used to have stools, but found that they TOOK
up too much room, and we decided upon 2
certain kind of seat time ago VIII
t6s court matter alter our plansP Not a bit We
have airea iy complied with the law, which specl-
ties neither The number, style nor position Of the
seats required, and we dOHt lNtenu 10 Dh coerctu
into doing what we are perfectly wiling to do,
what it is for our interest TO do and what common
humanity dictates should he done. When we snail
put III the seats depends eniue!y upon the Ie-
suit of this case"
There was a long seat in one corner, over which
il had been found necessary to post this noil e;
This seat is for cash girls only; not for customers
SalrswOmen were sitting down behind the counters
in the different department. OF the store. wherever
there wer- customers asking their services and
many of them were talking together and laughing
in the most comfortable manner.
James Simpson, of Simpson, Crawford d Simp-
son. said - You know just much about this
matter as we do The first knew about it. or
that there was such law in existence, was when
we read about he court summon in the evening
pa, rs Saturday. OF course the gr.s ought TO
have stools or something TO SIT down upon When
they are not busy waiting customers. buf there
is no room for stools behind our counters Yes OF
course, the law calls for III IN and We VIII have 10
provide sort Of seats. We are perfectly willing
and. in fact. anxious 10 do that and anything else
for he comfort OF our saeSW oncn Tor IL Is 10 our
advantage TO do So"
W H. Hills, superintendent in Daniel tS Sons
store, said " We have always allowed our sales
women to SIT down when not busy, and there are
stools behind all the counters. Some of them, |
know have been in the store fifteen years so we
can do nothing different from what we have always
done. can't imagine why they should bring such
charges AGAINST Mir. Daniel. lie is very much liked
by all his employees aud they have given hun the
name of " Papa Ddnle-they think so much of
him. During that very cold, snowy weather he
sald to me- Dismiss all the gIrls that have to
cross the rivers" We haven't put III another
stool and are not going 10, for we have
always complied with the law, even before it was
made lhe girls can leave Their places any time
they wish; tAe' have plenty OF time for lunch, some
more and some less, according to the distance tney
have 10 %, and they say they wish people Would
lei them alone; they don't Ike 50 much tax about
the poor shop glrl.'"
j. X. kugelman general manager in the store of
B. Altman ~ Co., when asked If the proceedings ~
c0uli against The ,hIet firms before mentioned "uid
influence his firm 10 change its methods III re gard to
replied: No. we shall make no chi inge.
We have always provided seats for our employees,
and the cOmplanants III the case o saturday visit
us u few days ago and commended our arrange
ST lis and downs air.. IN which there
are more than one hundred comfortable
chairs for the exclusive use OF our sales
women We allow every OF them ten or
fifteen minutes IN IN morning and the same in the
afternoon leave their place and 20 10 these rooms
TO rest and they all take advantage OF int allow
aDce. They also have hall an hour 1or lahcn most
of them taking il the building. Seats behind the
counter don't work we think, for girl can't rest
at ali If she is called up to wait on customer as
soon as she sits down. They have to leave their
work and their places entirely 10 get any rest. We
never even i'll the busy holiday season, Keep open
after o'clock"
5. w. Enrich, of Enrich Brothers, SAID to arec
pOrter: " We shall not change our treatment OF
nur saleswoIncn. for we always had wooden stools
for them to use, which may be showed under the
counter out of the way. We give them an
terest to do il, for they do much better |
work in the afternoon II they nave
good long rest at nOon The store opens at o'clock
in the morning but we give them hteen minutes
grace III the summer we give every one or our
employees, high and low. a vacation and don't stop
their pay while they are awav. Sometimes when
emp Dyes have been i'll We have sent them INTO The
country at our own expense.
Isaac Stern, of stern Brothers said that this firm
had always provided seats for their saleSwonen
that twothirds of them coul down at one time
hat theV had "a half hour at noon for lunch and
that they could leave their counters at any time
without asking permission.