Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-03-31
CLERKS IN STORES.
SOMETH HING ABOUT THE FOLKS WHO
STAND BEHIND THE COUNTERS.
The MsscuIIne- No; a Weakly Class, but
the Feminines Draw back to the
Mutual Benefit As-"ciation,-
Early Closing.


There are between y. OJO and 5000
clerks outside of the departments In this
city, said the secretary Of the Clerks Mu-
ual Benefit and Protective association. in
answer 10 an inquiry made by reporter
Il mean by that all persons employed in
stores OF private business establishments a.
clerks. male and female. About one half Of
this number are females At least one half
Of the clerks, both male and female, are ur-
Ter - ysar~ II age
what becomes Of the clerk when he gets
olif' asked the reporter
"He may become one Of the prOprietorS,
or own q store himself said the secretary:
but, to u'e popular phra q, The clerk
gets left when he grows old. There are so
many active young men ready t. take his
place-young men living at home perhaps.
and able 10 subslst on half the salary that
would suffice the old clerk with family.
The young man OF - or 70 is at the height
II his usefulness a clerk Then he either
secures for himsslf place In the firm or
some particularly high position for which
his training and experience has httsd him,
or he begins to retrosrade. That's one
thing we propose 10 do in our association
to check this retrogreSsiou. We want TO
tire the young men with ambition, and at
the same time 10 what we can for the old
men.
FEMALE CIERkS EN,LUDED.
I'VE do not admit female clerks into our
association" continued the secretary, in
answer 10 q question. You know our
association is a benefit association Female
clerks are not fitted for the labor they have
to do Ii is our experience that in force
II male and female clerks four fifths of the
sickness is among the females. In one
lar store here, where a benefit associa-
tion was startei among the clerks, il /,
languishing because the female, or "A large
portion Of them, bscom. siss, AMI the male
clerks have TO pay. The proper AMI only
seemingly remedy appears to be the estah-
iishmsnt of a separate benefit association
among the female clerks with a higher
ratio OF due>, etc, which could De easily ac-
compli>hed, AMI would result in untold
advantages; for with them their working Is
often compulsory on account Of circum-
tances and they can ill afford to lose their
wages on account of sickness, though all
firms do not require them 90 forfeit their
pay during sickness We require clerk L.
pass a rigid phys examination. He has
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" sugges tad the reporter.
CLERKS Not WEAKLY MEN.
Just the reverse is true. As general
thing, l think our medical examiner will
Jell you, that they are stronger than is the
rule among men-abovs the average The
clerks, you see, have a great deal of sctive
work to do and have to keep it up. They
lecome hardened In tie case of one of our
members recently admitted, the doctor told
me be had never examined a person he con-
idered in better condition. The class OF
clerks we have are msmbers Of boat clubs
and bicycle clubs, young men fond Of base
ball and other outdoor psstimes. and mem
bers OF gymna>iums Why, during the past
summer we made up two base bail mines out
of our store alone, though they did not have
much chance q play.
No." the secrstary went on; though IT
is indoors, the employ ment OF a clerk is not
the clerks are not expected 10 sit down.
time"
Aren't the hours long"
The hours are pretty long said the sec-
a combination Of circumstance or compe-
tition among some of the smaller estab-
lIshments, under the belief that it is an &C
TO the public To keep open
late. That idea is somewhat antiquated
now. During the last few summers
IN Chicago. New York, Philsdelphls,
and ali the larger cities, while many estsb
lishments of every class closed at ) or + in
the afternoon, a gordly number closed one
day in the week at Il or o'clock. showing
a tendency to shorten hours. Did it injure
their tradet No. they found it the best
kind of an advertisement for them. The
mere fact that their clerkI were out having
spread the fame Of the hou g.
And then it not only makes the clerks take
more interest in the business OF the firm,
but the fact that the proprietor takes an in.
terest in the welfare Of his clerks gives the
clerks an incentive to work