Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-03

To the Reverend and Medical Gentlemen
aoho haze signed an appeal for early clos
ing:
We are surprised that such an intelli-
gent class of citizens should have signed
paper of the kind without investigating
the document to which they have APP
pended their names. There is not a
business man in this city, or elsewhere,
who shows more regard for the welfare of
their employees than we do. 1t is true,
petition for early closing during the
months of July and August, TO wit, at .
O'Clock p. m. was presented to us by
Messrs. Solomon and Baker. 1t is equally
true that we have refused to sign it, but,
| in refusing TODD so, we asked these gentle
men to change the hour to $3.50 O'Clock,
which we deem early enough, prOUtded
that the clerks loere dIlOVed TO ledUe at that
time, and not be compelled TO remain an
/ other half hour IN the closed stores tOp PIT
their stocks IN order.
Under this rule, which we carry out,
whether agreed to by other merchants or
not, our lady clerks are only required to
give us nine and half hours for days
work, and we believe we are entitled to it.
| as we pay them a days wages. we would
further state that we even consulted the
men in our employ, as man to man and
not as employer and emplOye, and they
answered, that they do not care a snap of
| their finger to get out before I O'CLOCK.
Furthermore, we will state that we do not
employ feeble children, hence that part of
the appeal is entirely uncalled for. OF
course, we were told by the committee
that we treat our clerks humanely, but
that other merchants do not, and that
there should be unity of action to ac-
admit, is very sound, and therefore, we
suggested to the committee to influence
these other merchants to adopt our rule
and there would be no just cause for COM
plant. We allow, for instance, our lady
clerks to leave on Saturday nights at 10
O'Clock, to enable them to take
the last car, and as we employ twenty of
them, and likely more than any other
! house, we certainly do this at great in
convenience to us. Other stores keep
their salesladies until y O'Clock mid
! night ON Saturdays. Are we. to be held ac-
cOuntable for it? Do we not set them the
| proper example? What more can one
! justly ask of us? Do we keep the sales
women at work all night and all day Sam
| days when we take inventory or when we
prepare for ''Our opening as other houses
do? Let the blame be laid where it prop
| erly belongs. We treat all our clerks as
if they were members of our own family;
/ we allow them to speak to each other; we
! allow them to sit down when they have
! time, and we do not abuse them before the
| customers for the slightest error.
| The dry-goOds clerks who have investi-
! gated the movement for early closing, we
| would advise, if they mean to benefit the
saleswomen, as they profess, and not
themselves, principally, to work in the
direction indicated.
We were the first concern in this city
who introduced salesladies in dry goods
stores, and here we take special eXcep-
| ton to the postscript of DIR. Falligant,
who says that he would be glad to see
the matter brought before our Legislature
! with a view to such legal regulations as
will cOnduce to the desired result" We
| beg to state for the gentleman's informa-
! ton that it would. likely throw about 100
! young ladies out of employ, where they
! earn twice as much with less strain on
! their health than SeamstreSSes and other
working women earn.
! If the public will take the trouble, they
will find that the height of the ambition
| of the young girls who are compelled to
work for living is to get positions as
! saleswOmen. We would therefore suggest
| to the ladies and gentlemen of Savannah,
who have so much of the milk of human
! kindness, to form an association for the
ameliOratiOn of the OUerlcOFked and alldeT-
! paid working women of all classes, and
we will subscribe $50 for such a purpose,
as we do not mean to preach, but prac-
tice humanity. Respectfully,
DAVID WEISBEIN 4 Co.