The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-07-26
FOR EARLY CLOSING.
A Grocers Clerks Replies to Grocer
Cleary's Restrictions.

A GrOcers Clerks Replies to Grocer
Cleary's Restrictions.
Editor Sunday Taller
In your last edition was an interview
with D. E. Cleary, the Newark avenue
grocer, bearingon early closing beg the
indulgence of your valuable columns for
some comments, that Mr.. G. may under
stand what he signed. He seems to be sur
prised that the early closing has reached
the grocer's clerks. Why he should is a
question possibly which he can answer. /
might guess at many reasons, one among
them might be that the grocery clerk is Of
all clerks the hardest worked, and receives
the least compensation, depriveing him
first of opportunities for reflection, and
next of the means whereby to purchase
books or papers that treat on the right of
individuals. Mr.. @. says the merchants
on the avenue have signed an agreement
to close their respective stores at p. m.
during August Mr.. G. well knows that
they have done better, and that he is a
party to the contract which is to close all
year around at p. M, Saturdays excepted.
I hope he will bear this in mind and save
the clerks the trouble of visiting him again
on September LIST to get his signature re-
newed. And now, as to his late shopping
being an encouragement to trade on the
avenue. l am surprised that reputed
business man would so express himself.
Those on the avenue we'll knows that the
trade, that purchase on that thoroughfare,
could not under any circum stances be
forced to purchase at the side street
groceries which Mr.. G. refer to--for
many good reasons, first of which is,
they could not get the selection of goods,
and, second, they would be compelled to
pay from 10 to 15 per cent. more for their
goods: and as to driving the trade to New
York, pray, does Mr.. @. claim that people
have not time to buy in Jersey City during
the day, and yet they can make time to go
to New York Surely he does not mean to
tell the people that they will go over the
river after p. NJ. TO make their pur-
chases Next he refers to Lorillard's en-
ployees, who have not worked for the past
year more than three-quarter time. Now,
surely they have Time enough to make
their purchases before in the evening"
but we hope better times for them, when
they will be working full time, and what
then2 We know that those people get
paid but once week, and that pey=day is
their day for purchasing, that being Satur-
day. The clerks do not object to keeping
open until the wee hours of Sunday morn
ing. As to his hundreds of women who
cannot leave their homes until their hus-
bands get home is mere besh, There is not
in all Jersey dozen women who cannot
90 regulate their household affairs as to
make their purchases during the day, if
they know the stores are to be closed at
proper time in the evening What COM
fort that would be to the hard-wnrked hus-
band? He then could come home after his
days toll, sit down, rest himself, mingle
with and become acquainted with his fam
lily, while our present cursed system of
late shopping deprives many fathers of.
can well imagine how much tired man,
after d hard days work, breads the ordeal
of having to pat the basket on his arm
after supper and go shopping with his wife
and that is what they have to do, instead of
staying ct home and taking care of the
house, as Mr. G. would have us accept.
Now those are men Whp work from eight
to ten hours per day, and In my experience
of twenty one years in the grocery business
I have often heard them swear at the clerks.
who do not wake TO o sense of their man
hood, and work no longer than other work
ers, that they might be relieved from this
ordeal, and to-day they re-
joice that there is possibility OF the clerks
awakening and as an evidence of their
the workers all over the
county are pledging their assistance to the
earlp closing movement, which if success
full, awill result il lasting benefits to all
The merchant could save his
gas bill, and enjoy the comfort of the home |
circle with his family. The clerks and sales
ladies' would be busy all day, and do their