The morning news., 1889-05-20
TO CLOSE AT $50.
Thet Is What the Clerks Want the
Retail Merchants to Do.

! ~~oS - WHAT IQ6 OIGTkS w anu Ele
| Retail Merchants to Do.
The salesmen in the dry goods stores have
formed an association, which is to be known
as the Retail Dry Goods Salesmen's Asso-
citation, and have elected the following
temporary officers:
| President-S. G. Sutherland.
| Secretary-J II. Frank.
1reasurer-Frank Donovan.
Inc principal object of the association is
TO secure early closing hours for the sum
ner season. Last year the retail dry goods
| stores closed at $3.50 O'Clock from June to
| sept. /, Saturdays excepted. aud this year
tue object in to close at $50 o'clock p IN.
from June 10 TO Oct. /, Saturdays excepted.
1t Is understood that nine dry goods firms
nave agreed TO the request Of their sales
men, as follows:
4. r. Altmayer & Co................75 salesuen
y EcHsteln q Co Co-...................5 90 statesmen
05 y. 1Ia5 q Son,..-.-......-..-... ..2O salesmen
Dahlel hogan. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 20 salesmen
Morrison, Foye & Co...........-....20 20 statesmen
TF0nAu Dooner ...................i6 .i6 statesmen
l. EaSner q 90 .........--..........lo 10 statesmen
- SOHen ~ statesmen
The association is not organized for any
aggressive movement against employers, as
tae members say that they find the mer-
chants desirouS of cooperating in the early
cloSlng, which worked most satisfactorily
last summer, and the ladies soon adapted
themselves to the new order of things, and
dld their shopping at an early hour. This
year committees of the salesmeu's associa-
tion will call upon or address the ladies by
circular letter, requesting them TO do their
shopping earlier so that by o'clock in the
evening the salesmen may get their stocks
arranged for the next day, aud get off at
o:30 O'Clock each night. Atpresant the sales
men cone on at Z: 80 o'clock a. m, and do not
c'cl h11f Fhorr
that between the hours of II o'clock a. N.
and o'clock in the afternoon, they are al
most wholly unemployed, and from O'Clock
on there is rush.
In this connection a delegation of the
salesmen's association, which was inter
viewed by a MORNING NEWS reporter yes
| terday, furnished soms Interesting points
about the custom of early closing in Au-
gusta, Atlanta and Memphis. They say
that in Augusta at the tap of a bell at g
o'clock in the evening, all the year round,
all business houses excspt drug stores and
bar rooms close, with no Saturday uight
exception. The bell used was once a fire
bell, corresponding in sound volume with
the ''big duke" The Dry Goods Associa-
ton, which was organized five years ago.
pays man SIS per month to tap the bell at
o'clock
In Atlanta the dry goods stores close at
$3.50 O'Clock p. m in the winter season and
at O'Clock p m. Ia the summer, with no
exception on Saturday evenings.
In Memphis the dry goods stores open at
8 o'clock in the morning, closing at 5 o'clock
in the evening in winter and 6 O'clock p. N.
in the summer.
The salesmen say, that with the CO.
operation of the ladies, it will soon be con-
sidered here, as they claim it is in other
southern cities, breach of etiquette to be
found shopping after o'clock In the even
ing, and once established, early closing
hours will always be popular. The sales
men are much elated with the hearty CO.
operation Of the dry goods merchants
above named, who have either signed the
petition or agreed to close at $50 after
June TO-