Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-17
NEW BUSINESS HOURS.
MOVEMENT TO DO AWAY WITH
AFTERNOON DINNERS.

AN Effort to Establish In Savannah tho
Custom Prevailing in Northern Cities
Some of the Reasons for Change in
the Established Business Hours Here
A Petition In Circulation.
The latest thing to be put on the list
and to be marked unjust go' is the
O'Clock dinner. A petition is being olrcu-
lated along the Bay asking the business
houses to unite in a movement against
the antique custom of going home for
dinner in the middle OF the afternoon.
Hardly anyone comes back until 4 O'Clock
and business is practically suspended for
TWO hours.
1t is proposed to substitute lunch for
this meal and to keep on at work until
O'Clock, when all work will be closed
for the day and every one will go home
TO q substantial dinner.
THE PROPOSED CHANGE.
The change has been talked OF now and
then for good while, but 1t is 50 much OF
an innovation that it has never been
made. The present movement is receiy-
ing pretty general approval. Nearly II
not quite every firm to whom the petition
has been presented has agreed to adopt
do the same. A bookkeeper for leading
firm on the Bay remarked yesterday that
he could see no reason why the change
should not be made.
AS we do now, we lose two OF the best
hours OF the day, from O'Clock until T."
he said. 1--WE come down at 8 and at are
just in a working mood, and are able
TO do our best. The heads Of firms have
finished their morning mail ana can take
time tn talk business to callers.
BREAK IN THE DAY.
"But when the Exchange clock strikes
2 every thing is dropped. A couple OF
hours later the clerks drop back to pick
up their work where they left of. IL they
had a good dinner they ate heartily and
feel too uncom lortably fun eNr work. If
they did not ENJOY their dinner they feel
even less like work. co between the two
the work drags. The hours now taken
for dinner would be about the most con-
venient OF the whole day Tor running
around If the Offices were not deserted.
BUSINESS SUSPENDED.
at is understood that il is not worth
ones while 10 make business call be-
tween and 4. Nobody is in, and how
ever 50 important the business may be it
has TO be postponed until O'Clock. Moth
ing is made by taking such long noon,
while great deal is lost
ave employees are set back that much
with our WORK, and we have TO make it
up at night, after supper. for Of course
we have 10 get something 10 eat about 7
O'Clock.
LATE WORK AVOIDED.
at is a common thing for the clerks to
work until 8, 10 and IL at night. AS
result, we have no evening. The pro-
prietors are not so much interested, be-
cause they can go and come when they
please. Really, believe more business
would be transacted ii we 90 away with
the present dinner hour. A man can
slip out across the street, 90 two or three
blocks, get a good lunch, and be back IN
thirty minutes or less. A couple or sand
witches and cup OF coffee or milk, oys-
tiers, cold meat, salads, or something OF
that kind, would be cheap, and would
keep one from starving until the regular
dinner hour.
ga midday dinner is thing unknown
TO the business men of New York, Boston,
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, and all
the large cities.
LUNCH AT NOON.
''Probably the substitution OF the lunch
for the meal in the middle of the day in
those cities was originally more a matter
of necessity than of choice, since the
business men rarely live close to their
stOTeS anu OucSbs Dub Lue ouSlHcso pew
pie of those cities would not take two
hours out of their working day il the
landlords would take off the rents as an
inducement. AS rule they go down at
s O'Clock 10 the morning and close up at
s O'Clock in the afternoon. By 6
they are at home and ready for din
ner, which is hot, substantial meal.
Then they have the rest of the night, and
it affords them a good long evening with
their family, or for whatever other uses
thew may have for the time.
1--WE want continuous business hours,
believing that the present system is in
furious to health"
The new plan is TO be given q trial as
soon as fifty signatures of business men
are obtained.