St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-29
THE HALF HOLIDAY.

In the kindness of their hearts the
ladies of this city have inaugurated
movement looking to the closing Of all
the stores on Saturday afternoons dur
ing the months of July and August,
with view of giving the clerks and
other employees half holiday. This
custom has become pretty general in the
Eastern cities, and i'll some of them the
half-holiday season is extended up to
the 1st of November.
AS will be seen elsewhere, a number
of our St. Paul merchants have signified
their willingness to comply with the re-
quest of the ladies. while there are
others who decline to join the movement
on the ground that their business inter-
eSts would suffer. Of course it is mat
ter that each merchant must decide for
himself, and in making his decision
must consult his Individual interests.
The ladies who have charge of the
movement recognize this fact, and have
determined to appeal to the body of the
people, and particularly to their fellow
women, not to do any shopping upon
Saturday afternoon. They do this upon
the theory that if no shopping is done
there will be no excuse for keeping the
stores open, and thus all the merchants
will find it to their advantage to give
their employees the Saturday half holiday
during the summer months.
Ii the half-holiday movement has
merit, and we are free to admit that it
has, we fail to see why it should be con-
fined exclusively to the retail mercan-
tile business. If it is good thing for
the clerks and statesmen in retail stores
to have a Saturday afternoon outing,
why shouldn't it be good thing for the
employees in factories and mills, the
builders and artisans, and all laboring
people to have the same privilege? The
argument in favor of the Saturday half
holiday during the heated term is
founded.Ou a sympathetic regard for
the needs of the human race. Continu
Gus confinement during the hot weather
is injurious to health. God made the
sunhSine and summer breeZeS for the
health as well as for the enjoyment OF
His creatures. 1t seems almost a crime
against nature for one to shut himself
up inside of close walls, from which
the sunlight is excluded and where the
air is hot and sitting, for six days out
of the week. when all out of doors is
bathed in sunshine and the health
full breezes carry healing on
their wings. Yet the necessities of
trade and commerce require a GER
tain amount of work to be per-
formed indoors at all seasons, the heated
term included; and those who are de-
pendent on their daily labor for their
daily bread must submit to the exact
ing requirements of business life.
Hence it becomes the duty of the bust
ness men to study out and perfect sys-
tenn by which their employees shall have
as much of the enjoyment of outdoor
life in the summer season as it is posi-
BILE to give them.
Another argument in favor of the
Saturday half holidayls that it aids in
Sabbath observance. Those who work
indoors for six days out of the week
feel it to be Christian duty to take the
seventh day for outdoor enjoyment.
and they are correct about it, The
highest performance of Christian duty
is to treat yourself right, or at least to
be as just to yourself as circumstances
will permit If the laboring people had
a Saturday half holiday for their pic
nics and excursions they would be in
better mood to observe the Sabbath
according to the commandment.
In view of all these facts, it occurs to
us that it is unwise to depend on the
voluntary movement of business men
to secure for the working classes the
privilege of Saturday half holiday. 1t
would be better course to provide for
it by legislation. And with this end in
view we take the liberty of suggesting
to the ladies who have the movement in
charge to appeal to the next legislature
to make provision for the Saturday half
holiday during the summer months.
In the meantime, if our merchants
and other business classes can consist
emily lend encouragement to the efforts
being made by the ladies in behalf of
the clerks and shop girls, they will be
doing righteous act.