St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-25
Seats for Woman Clerks.

To the Editor of the Globe.
Of course / know that your waste
basket is very handy, and a rapid glance
at the contents of this will most GER
tainly be a good, sufficient reason for the
consignment of this, my first attempt
Ito you at leaSD, to the ignominious fate
so sure to befall any such poor efforts as
mine. But, l pray you. don't think
from my "nOm de plume" that am
gay. thOughtless young creature, for l
assure you | am not; and if you ever
have the misfortune to gaze upon my
features, you will be speedily convinced
of the fact. So much Tor my bow to
you, dear GLOBE. | am stranger in
strange land; but | see many
reasons for me to lift my cudgei
in defense of many of my fellow NOR
tails, and | wish it first to fall where l
think it needs welding with terrible,
and, hope, good effect. And / shall
strike just where so few think that it is
needed, and it shall be at the prOprie
tors and managers of stores where lady
clerks are employed. dislike to deSig
nate many of these as cruel, and yet
thoughtless would be too mild term.
Being in one of these stores lately, | re-
marked to one of the young lady clerks
LIldU SIC lOOkCu WHY Ul1Co \0llo yCt III
was very dull day for buSineSs). She
and, on my asking her why she did not
sit down and rest, she told me that the
clerks were not allowed to sit down;
that stools or seats were positively pro-
hibited behind the counters and if they
were found sitting down that it would
be an offense punishable with a very
severe reprimand and possibly their dis
charge. Twas amazed and could hardly
believe her statement until it was sub
stantiated by another lady clerk. l
asked her if it was the rule in all the
stores and she replied that it was gen
orally so. made inquiries at two more
stores and found the rules the same.
And yet some of these proprietOrS are
fathers of daughters who, if thrown on
their own resources and compelled to
occupy the places OfsSOme of their lady
clerks, would be indignant land justly
So) that their daughters should be
compelled to stand all day long, when
there was no necessity for it. In Chi
cago, stools are provided for lady clerks,
not always through the kindness of
their employers, but for the simple rea-
In one city, quite distant from
here my former home), the ladies held
an indignation meeting on finding that
stools were not provided, and resolved
that they would i'll the future not pa
tronize any store unless arrangements
were made so that the clerks could sit
down when not employed. 1t had a
very beneficial effect. 1t is very cruel
practice and it should not be so in this
metropolis of the Northwest, and 1
raise my humble voice in pro-
test, and | know when the matter is
brought before the public. that others
will join me in crying down this great
evil. Let the ladies Of st. Paul resolve
that those stores which do not provide
stools or chairs for their lady clerks
will be boycotted by them, and am
sure that it will be productive of much
good. Am | right. dear GLOBE, in so
using my cudgei? | am the friend to
and the defender of all my sisters who
toll and labor for their daily bread; and
where indignitieS. such as these, come
to my notice, shall do all in my feeble
way to suppress them. If you think
this worthy of place in your valued
paper, | will know. indeed, that you
are on my side: but, if you should not
think so, will bow to your superior
Judgment, and forever hereafter hold
my peace. MAY BEE.
st. Paul. Jan. %, 1880.