Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-10-18
HOURS OF LABOR.

The annual effort is being revived
throughout the cities of the State to secure
| the closing of mercantile houses at an early
| hour in the evening. Every consideration
involving the welfare, physical and mental,
of the employed class, tavOrs it. 1t Is not
reasonable that in stores and shops longer
hours ofservice should be exacted than in the
workshops Whether the clerks use their
evening hours i'll or well, of course con
Germs the employers, but bare suspicion
that by the few they may be squandered Is
not sufficient reason for keeping q large
class OF employees ct labor after other work
| ing men and women have ceased from
daily tasks Observation convinces us that
the great mass of clerks improve evening
hours when allotted them, and that but few
misuse them. Even these will snatch from
the night hours of rest nearly an equiya-
| lent of time for improbable purposes if
long labor hours are exacted. As a rule
the clerk must 90 to his task at the same
hour as the mechanic, and, as a rule, re-
main at labor from three to four hours
longer. We believe it is quite generally con-
coded by the public that early closing
should prevail, and the chief reason NOV
ing merchants in opposition to the system,
is that a few will always be found who will
not adhere to the agreement, but will keep
trading places open in the hope TO get the
better of their business competitors But
| If the merchant is convinced that early
| closing benefits the employe, and better
qualities him to discharge his duties, he
should act upon the conviction irrespective
| of the refusal of his neighbor to do so.
| The whole tendency of modern times is to
| tighten the burdens of labor, without de-
prcciating the reward The world is con-
WINGED there are other considerations than
those of gain in this matter; that business
| interests are best conserved by promoting
the physical, mental and intellectual we'll
being Of the employed classes. 1t would be
difficult to find the business man nowadays
| so bold as to claim that the longer hours
he works his employees, the greater the re-
suits to him. There is limit, which, when
reached, makes the task 50 irksome that il
is i'll performed, and that lowers the stand
ards of yigor and ability for the whole
round of working hours. We do not be-
licve that there is any financial loss to
sellers of goods by reason Of closing their
| shops, say at in the afternoon. Even at
that hour the employee cannot secure free
| dom before I, since closure does not mean
absolute cessation from labor. The post
closing hour will always demand some ser
vice OF the mercantile employe. 1t follows
that the clerk is confined at labor at least
! one. ard most often two hours longer than
his fellow nottingham 1T the forge or lathe,
even under the early closing system. SO far
as public opinion can affect the question it
should be cast in favor OF the lesser hours
of labor Thai opinion is the aggregate OF
individual sentiment and it therefore de-
wolves on every citizen holding to these
views to make them manifest TO the mold
| ing of public judgment in favor of release
| from labor at the early hour.