The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-05-07

The Merchants Protective
Association Discusses
the Eight O'Clock
Rule.
WHY Mr.. METzLER DID NOT SIGN.

He Becomes Member Of the Organ
ization After a Frank Statement
OF His Position.
1t was big meeting that was held by
the Merchants Protectiue Association in
the Second National Bank building last
night. Mr.. George Hawes presided and
r. NJ. Doane officiated as secretary
The meeting was public and clerks and
labor unions had been invited for the first
time in the Associations history Among
those present were Messrs. Van Anglen,
Schaffer. Seely, Hulshizer, Gullberg,
Vessels, Metzler and Furst, and dele
cation of three from the Central Labor
Union.
Not until twenty minutes to nine
o'clock was the meeting called to order by
Mr.. Hawes, who welcomed all. He then
reported that the petition in behalf of
Early Closing. which had been circulated
throughout the city, had received the
signatures of seventy-seven firms willing
to close at eight O'Clock.
The Committee on Advertising reported
that 30, 600 hand bills had been delivered
to the public in parcels or by distribution
on the streets. The committee believed
that this plan had been effective.
Gustav Metzler, of the Boston One
Price Clothing House, inquired whether
the association knew of any stores that
were kept open later than eight O'Clock
few 'i-" 1-A"'' 'sp'1
WHY MR.. METZLER DID NOT SIGN.
ffT 10 n dn7or, - rofr taA
Metzler. 81 refused to sign the petition
sent out because l have been ill-treated
by the association in the past. ] came
here tonight by your invitation to justify
my action. close my store at eight
O'Clock, and cannot see the necessity of
signing such an agreement when | see
parties alongside of me closing at nine
o'clock-and they are members of the
association, too. / have found by expert
ence that it is not wise to close at eight
o'clock in the clothing business, but l do
it at loss Of $4,000 sales a year. With
some exceptions, the New York clothing
houses close at nine o'clock, and if we
force the mechanic who works all day to
go to New York for his clothing it is un-
just to him. The early closing does not
affect the ladies' department of my store
so much, and during the dull season
will close at O'Clock.
II defy you to find happier people than
those who work for me. [Applause.l
Even your Christians keep open on hoH-
days, and / close on all of them. / give
my employees excursions, balls and pic
MICS to make life pleasant, and am will
ling to subscribe 500 now to a fund that
will provide this for all the clerks. There
is one thing more l wish to say, and that
is there is not a firm in the city that has
more friends than the Boston. / have
never been invited before to attend your
meetings.
I'M. = =
ber," said the secretary. ''In regard to
early closing the merchants believe it to
be wise to close. If Mr.. Metzler
thinks differently he has that right.
can't conceive why all merchants do not
join us in the work for early closing, for
the Board of Trade cannot do ALL /"
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CASE.
Charles Furst was very sorry If the
associations action had caused anyone to
feel slighted, and he desired to apologize
in its behalf He took exception to some
of the points made by Mr.. Metzler. He
did not believe that Jersey City people
would go to New York shopping after
eight D. nj He admitted with regret that
some people made it point to go to New
York to buy, no matter what the closing
hour was in Jersey City. He could not
see how Mr.. Metzler could lose as muchas
$4,000 year by closing at eight o'clock.
As to the question of caring for en-
satisfied. He had not, however, found
the plan of providing amusements for
them as successful as Mr.. Metzler seemed
to think it. His employees, as rule, pre-
ferred to do that for themselves. He hoped
that Mr.. Metzler would no longer hold
the opinion that the association was hos
tile to him. for such was not the case.
s'We have now got Jersey City custom
ers educated up to trading before eight
o'clock p m.," he said, ''and hope to see
the closing hour seven O'Clock p. m. Some
merchants become backsliders, but they
injure themselves by SO doing and they
lose after while. In an appeal to the
public to not deal with any one who keeps
open after eight O'Clock is our only hope.
/ do not believe that this is a boycott be-
cause it points to no particular individ-
ual."
AIMS OF THE LABOR UNIONS.
Merchant Vessels said he would like to
hear from the Labor Union delegates and
the chairman of that committee replied
that he would like to make known the
names of the firms who refused to sign
the appeal This President Halves re-
who had been sought had not been found,
bnt they would be visited during the
week.
The delegate then said that the union is
working for nine hours a day, but that
about thirty bosses had refused thus far
to join them.
will not purchase anything from any
store that does not close at eight p. M"
he said.
Mr.. Lawrence, who has bought out PERL
mutter's hat business declared that he
sympathized with the movement. Richard
Allen, labor candidate for Sheriff last
fall also endorsed the movement
Mr.. Vessels then said he believed Mr..
Metzler would join the association, and
proposed his name for membership. He
was elected and accepted the honor.