, 1882-11-25

; think there are good many very sx-
cot rsasons Why the employees Of msr-
CTS and basinsss men in Wslia Waiia
SD ask Tor N sarhsr eloAing Of places OF
hnesa, and - well Why the merchants
nbusiness men themselves should grant |
stequest. 1t is true, that when clerk Is
eloyed in . business house the under
ssiing is that he Is to labor for such en- |
ner throughout all the bours when 1t Is
c,omary ~ keep open such store. The
ck makes this agreement at least Re gives
acit consent to it. and the merchant SO
isles. Therefore the present movement
ofhe clerks. book-keepers and other eih-
Hes IN .his e,.y. towards IN earl,er hSaf
fo;losing, is not one of equity. but Is made
orhe ground of the ethical right OF such
eln.
he LIE OF clerk here, or elsewhere, week
innd week out. is about tins: Monday
inning at six or haf-psss ne goes 70
tt store. Between twelve snd one. he goes
toinch. AT siX he goes to dinner. he
relins and remains in the store until nine
oralf-past. About ten o'clock be reaches
hae and goes to bed. For the rest OF the
das of the week, ne trAmps over this same
rod. Entertainments come and go; matters
Of social nature occur in the evenings and
ms: when the clerk 10 married. his family
spad their evenings alone. All these and
may other things Of kindred nature IN
which the young or the married man right
fully has a part. take place. but without his
presence. 1t is that he may become shaFer
in such things, the employee asks an earlier
relief from the duties of business.
Upon the question Of equity. the merchant
can CLAIM every hour of the clerks time, be-
tween early morning and nine or ten o CLOCK
in the evening. He pays for it, and has a
right to demand it. And 50 it Is question,
of the ethical right-perhaPs, better. gra-
tuty. L. is the evidence of merchants who
have Shveriul,y yielded to the request, that
it has paid them. They themselves, released
early in the evening. have discovered an IN
estimable amount Of good and pleasure in
the evenings at home. Ur As visitors TO other
homes: good in a physical sense in the re-
taxation it affords. They have discovered,
.oo, that they experienced q decided pleasure
in feeling that they were in this way contri-
buting to the pleasure and comfort Of those
under obligations to them. FINANCIALLY they
have saved large cum in the course Of a
year in the reduction Of gas and fuel ex'
penses. Scarcely . merchant In this city
believes that his profits on goods sold be-
tween half past seven and nine or ten O'Clock,
cover, the expense Of gas and fuel We
think that IN an Investigation Of the orlniou
Of the consurnere IN this city, 1t would be
found that the large majority would favor
AL early closing. that they would willingly
become accustomed TO 1t, and cast their In
hueneo IN favor Of thoco who chrerfully made
the change No. only have merchants, wht
have tried both plans. cast their vote IN favol
Of an early closing hour, because they feli
that their clerks we're ssking moral right
but they testify thst the7 haze found tines,
employees more cheerful, more thoroughly
interested in their work during the day, OF
the whole. more efficient end faithful Tn,
associations Of the evening. at home or II
the social gatherings. have given them i
fr,shened zest for the labor Of the day.