The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1886-07-04
ALL AGAINST ONE MAN.
PREPARING TO FIGHT An EARLY
CLOSING OBSTACLE.

Will Try 10 SEQ II tMey CANT HAHke kAtuf.
"A Peculiar Complication ON the Ave.
The early Closing Movement has found
hut one serious obstacle in the way Of its
success. When the merchants joined
hands with their clerks in the interest of
shorter working days aud more recreation
for both, it was an earnest that both sides
really desired the promised relief Meet
ings and consultations were held and every
business man of any account on the avenue
endorsed the movement, except one. That
one was Manager Metzler of the Boston
Clothing Honse, located now where Max
Stadler did business up to year or so ago.
Last year Mr.. Metzler had been conspieu-
GUS in the early closing movement. Mr.
Brill one of his clerks, had been President
of the Early Closing Association. They
had gone to the extreme of urging SIX
o'clock closing. It was with surprise,
therefore, that the merchants and clerks
learned that he was opposed to an eight
o'clock closing this year. Something of
chagrin was mingled with the surprise, too,
| for Mr.. MetzIer conducts not only cloth
ing business, but gents furnishing bust
ness and hat and cap business as we'll
His threat to keep oper when every one
else was closed could have no effect upon
such staid and solid clothing establish
| ments as Marshall & Ball and George W.
Clerihew, but it was feared that if he per-
sisted in selling till late in the evening
others engaged in the gents furnishing
trade and in the hat and cap business
might be forced by his competition into re-
volt too, and so from this neuclus of dis
scfan ksr.vs& 1,a &rko nf ho
ment might spring. The day fixed for
the beginning of the new regime was far
ahead at that time, though, and the mer-
chants hoped to bring him to his senses
before the time for the enforcement of the
new rule arrived. But Metzler pretends.
even yet, to be head-over-heelsi in love with
the movement, and is anxious to close; but
he has grudge against Clerihew, who,
with Mr.. Furst, has been specially
active in making the movement a
success this year, and he will
not come in till Clerihew is made to abdi-
cate. He says this to merchants who have
visited hiM by the score to labor with him,
but at the same time his advertisements
openly proclaim his belief that he can make
more money by keeping opcn .As's losing.
AS has been stated, The laerel a il
reason With him, and scores haas glsfet
him. Sometimes no has seemed S.
but his stubborness always cane &c his
rescue, and he kept on his bold front Of
opposition.
Then the Early Closers presented their
grievances to the labor community of
whom they were part. They found senti-
ment among the workingmen crystallized
fer early closing, and they needed no per-
suasion to exert their influence with the de-
fiant manager. Within the last few days
delegations FROM the Iron Moulders' Union,
the Tin and Sheet Iron Workers, the Box
Makers and Sawyers, the Painters, the
Bricklayers, the Boiler Makers, the Key
stone Labor Club, New Jersey Building
Council, and from the freight maintenance
and clerks department Of the Central and
Pennsylvania Railroad Companies, and
from the Central Labor Union, have called
on him to sign the cause of the overworked
clerks; but all in vain; and now, on the
very eve eff the Inauguration of the move
ment he stands obdurate as ever;
and when, as a last forlorn hope, dele
cation from the Clerks Early Closing Assoc
citation waited upon him to make q last ap-
peal, he is said to have turned them away
with scorn.
Next Tuesday will be the first day for
the enforcement of the new movement.
Everybody will be closed. The electric
lights that will blaze lonesomely in
frSnt of Metzler's place viii serve
oaly to point cut picket guard
OF clerks and Central Labor Union
aen. who ere to be station ed in its Vicinity.
These v;ili exhAuss every effort TO induce
people making their way to his establish
ment after eight o'clock to stay away
altogether, bat till the next morning 1t
any rate. They contemplate no violence
o. courae. They will act stand with their
arms stretched over the entrance, but it is
safe TO say that few win run the gauntlet
| of the arguing and reasoning and pleading
pickets to the portals of the store.
Meanwhile Mr.. Metzler is pelting the
public with letters of explanation over the
| signatures Of his clerks. In a letter
brought To this sfice few days ago for
publication, these much abused employees
actually charge that If it weren't fer the
eight o'clock movement they would have
been allowed to go eff duty at six O'Clock in
the evening. AS their places after that
hour were to be filled with even
ing substitutes, it is difficult to see
why this gerry early closing movement cannot
as we'll be as we'll carried out with the eight
o'clock movement prevailing az without.
1uo e1ofkh cut1 Rldlu tSO sukt tney Lave
not been consulted by the early closing
advocates. forgetful Of the fact that mos,
of Metzler's employees attended the original
meeting, and that Jones and Leake, nov
in his service, are yet members Of the As
sociatioR, and that Mr.. Jones WAS one of
the committee who waited on the mer.
channts to interest thsN in the SIGHT hour
4 agitation. His clerks have called meet.
1 iwr n ha held AZ Rachasa Hall We'd esday
evening next. The Central Labor Union
will have men on hand to give them I
thorough understanding Of tho situation
The Merchants Association viii meet at
Cooper's Hall on Thursday evening, fol
permanent organization.
The TArrLER Acknowledges the passage
of complimentary resolutions at the Early
i Closing Association IA seting Friday night
Two Mem Drowned 1T Halifax.
HALIFAX, N. s., July S.-Two young