The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-06-12
EARLY CLOSING.
Jy7yRyIEWS WITH A NUMBER or
MERCHANTS.

d, se Who Employ LADY Clerks spe-
,,slly yi.ited-some Already Close at o.
IN, otbers willing to DO So-Narions
Expressions of Opinion.
Reinr in full sympathy with the move
ueni 10 close the dry goods ESTABLISH
,nents Of the cily--and especially those
u,boemn.ov lady clerks and saleswomen--
az o'clock during these summer even
inrs the TIMES yesterday interviewed a
nnmber Of merchants on the subject,
with the following results
Vcssrs Isaac Sycle & Co. stated that
they did no, known at present what they
would do. OF course, said Mr.. Sycle, II
q LADY customer should come in at y
c'clock we would not hustle her out.
No could not announce just now that
would close at pm. II all the dry
,oods stores should say they would close
e,anm then of course there would be
M cnsiomers after 6, and | would close.
Icannot tell vet what | can do
Nessrs. Cohen & Bro. were seen. Mr.
Cohen stated that he closed AT o'clock
every summer, aud had been closing this
snmmer At 6 o'clock for the past two
weeks
4 TIMES reporter also visited number
of stores on Main street where lady
ciorks are employed, and all the clerks
,r;,h whom he talked were delighted 10
l,arn that the TIMES was To champion
the early- hour closing movement.
Messrs. Levy Il Davis, who employ
more than twenty female assistants were
called on. but the heal Of the house beng
Too busy 10 talk, several clerks were IN
reviewed. The substance OF their re-
marks was that il was the custom oil the
house TO close during the summer al d
o'clock. and while nothing had yet been
Gait about closing they presumed that
ihe uspal custom would soon prevail.
Tho emplov.s now 90 to work al ,
o'clock - m and get of at 1880 o'clock.
Strous Brothers, No 1909 East Main,
g,ere next visited The head OF this house
vas also busily engaged. n chat with
an employe revealed the fact that the
vounr men went to work al am, the
ladies AT sam and that they worked
until at least 7:30 o'clock p m. 1900
Mr. Bernard Lewis, Nos 1881 ana 1883
East Main, said that his lady clerks went
IN work a; from < to $50 o'clock, and that
during the summer he let them OH al u
o'clock Mr.. Lewis expressed himself AS
being heartily in favor of the movement
IN close early. and said that he would, as
neual close his stores from the 10Th oil
lime TO the 15h of September, whether
his neighbors did so or not.
4 number of boot and shoe, dry goods
and millinery establishments near the
Old Market emplOj from one 10 three
saleswomen, and some of them nave 10
work until about dark. 1t was learned
that about two years ago, when the
Baurhman boycott was in vogue nearly
oU The stores in this locality closed
early. 1t is said that the shopkeepers
were frightened by the knights oil LABOR
Ia rursue this course. Since then they
have done business in the old go'as YOU
please style.
CHANGING to stop at Baughman Broth
ers' stationery store, the IIMts man
found tha, they also employed lady help.
In reply 10 interrogations it was learned
that they went 10 work al : o'clock ana
stopned nj $50 in the summer ana D Ia
the winter. and on Saturdays they quit
work at 4. They are also allowed an oc.
casional half day holiday with pay, and
in return for this kindness the ladies'
sometimes render willing extra service on
occasions when the firm is particularly
busy. Richmond would be much better
of with many more business houses who
are as kind TO its female employees as Is
this firm.
\ number of other merchants were
visited. hut when seen the proprlelois
were 80 busy that they excused them
selves TO the reporter. Come In when
we sre not so busy was the general re-
mark. Ii seems to be very difficult
matter to get the merchants in any line
of business to harmonic as to the hour
of closing. and in some instances 1t is re.
ported that while the doors are closed
the employees are still kept at work inside
the stores. As seen above, however,
the drift of sentiment is In favor OF re-
leasing the employees at a reasonable hour
during the hot summer months, and 1t Is
not unlikely that the o'clock early clos
ing movement will be successful