Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-03-11
STORE CLERKS.
eomething About the Men and Women
Who Stand Behind the Counters.

eomething About the Men and Women
Who Stand Behind the Counters.
''There are between twenty-five and
thirty thousand clerks outside the
departments in this city," said the sec
rotary of the Clerks Mutual Benefit and
Protective Association, in answer to an
inquiry made by reporter. 81 mean
by that all persons employed in stores
or private business establishments as
clerks, male and female. About one
half Of this number are females. At
least one-half of the clerks, both males
and females, are snder tw twenty-five years
of age
..What becomes Of the clerk whez he
gets old?" asked the reporter.
''He may become one of the proprie-
tors, or own q store himself" said the
secretary; .'but, to use a popular phrase,
the clerk gets left when he grows old.
There are SD many active young men
ready to take his place-young men liv-
ing at home, perhaps, and able TO sub
:sist on half the salary that would suffice
the old clerk with a family. The young
man of twenty-five or thirty is at
the height of his usefulness as
clerk. Then he either secures
for himself p place in the firrn. or some
particularly high position for which his
training and experience has fried him.
Or he begins TO retrograde. That's one
thing we propose to do in Gun associa-
tion-to check this retrogression. We
want to fire the young men with ambi-
ton. and at the same time dc what we
can for the old men.
1--WE do not admit female clerks into
our association" continued the secre-
tary, in answer to a question. You
know our association is q benefit assO-
citation. Female clerks are not fitted for
the labor they have to do. 1t is our ex-
perience that in force of male and fe-
male clerks four-tifths of the sickness is
among the females. In one large store
here. where Il benefit association was
started among the clerks, it is anguish
ing because the females. or a large por-
ton of them. become sick. and the male
clerks have to pay. The proper and only
seeming remedy appears to be the cstab-
lishment of a separate benefit associa-
ton among the female clerks, with a
higher ratio of dues, etc. which could
be easily accomplished, and would re-
suit in untold advantages; for with
them their working is often COM
pulsorv on account 81 circumstances
and they can i'll afford to lose their
wages on account ofsickness, though
all firms do not require them to forfeit
their pay during sickness. We require
Il clerk to pass a rigic physical exam
nation He has to be not only socially
acceptable. but physically qualified. We
have very high standard.
1T is generally supposed that clerks.
owing to long confinement indoors, are
not very healthy" suggested the re-
porter.
"Just the reverse is true. As gen.
eral thing, ] think Our medical exam
liner will tell you that they are
stronger than is the ruie among men
above the average. The clerks, you
see, have a great deal Of active work to
do. and have to keep it up. They be-
come hardened. In the case of one of
our members recently admitted, the
doctor told me he had never eX-
amined person he considered in better
condition. The class of clerks we have
are members of boat clubs and bicycle
clubs, Young men fond of baseball and
other outdoor pastimes, and members
of gvmnasiums. Why. during the past
summer we made up two baseball mines
out of our store alone, though they
did not have much chance to play"
No" the secretary went on, ''though
it is indoors. the EN- loyment of clerk
is not sedentary. In all the larger es-
Establishments the clerks are not expected
to sit down. They are expected to be
,on the 90 all the time"
."Aren't the hours long?'
'The hours are pretty long said the
secretary This has been brought
about BY a combination of circum-
stances. or competition among some of
the smaller establishments. under the
belief that it is an accommodation to
the public to keep open late. The idea
is somewhat Anticipated now. During
the last few summers in Chicago. New
York. Philadelphia. and all the larger
cities. while many establishments of
every class closed at five or skin the
:aftagnoon. goodly number closed one
day in the week at twelve or one O clock.
showing "a tendency to shorten hours.
Did it injure their trade9 No. they
found it the best kind of an advertise
ment for them. The mere fact that
their clerks were out having recreation
spread the fame of the house. And
then it not only makes the clerks take
more interest in the business of the firm,
but the fact that the proprietor takes IN
interest in the welfare of his clerks gives
fhe clerks an incentive to work. -
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