Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-15
THE SUNDAY SHAVE.
Hotel Barber Shops Will He Generally
Kept Open Tomorrow,


The hotel keepers have generally decided,
Notwithstanding the order of the District Com
missioners on the subject, to keep their barber
their customers, and a meeting of the Hotel
Mems Association Of the city will be called for
Monday noon to take such action as the situa-
ton may seem to demand In the meantime
that is to say. tomorrow-the shops will be open
as on other days.
There was no question about Sunday closing
until few years ago, when the journeymen
BARRIERS union was formed and took the ground
that all shops should close on Sunday. The
Commissioners bore them out in that and is
sued an order to that effect The present
trouble seems to be simply revival of the old
In new form, with the exception that the
hotel shops have taken firm stand md intend
to stay there.
The journeymen, although they were all of
the same opinion before, seem to be divided
this time; some object to working on Sunday,
while others are greatly in favor of it. A
number OF the former class have built them
selves up nice little Sunday trade on custom
ers they shave during the week in the shops,
and as the fee for that sort Of
work is 50 cents they do not relish the
idea Of giving up these customers, or shaving
them in the shop at regular Sunday rates. On
the reason that the journeymen, who are paid
commission on all the work they do, get a
double commission on Sundays. 1t il not
thought that the union will make much opjeo-
ton to the new move.
ROBERT WILSON NOT AFRAID.
Mr.. Robert Wilson, who has the big shop
under the Ebbitt House, told STAR reporter
this morning that he intended by all means to
keep open tomorrow for the accommodation of
the travelling and hotel population.
about thirteen years ago." said he, ~ re-
sisted an order calling upon BARRIERS to close
their shops. The case was carried into the
courts and Judge Wylie. who believed that
cleanliness was next to godliness, decided that
the law under which the order was issued was
legal right to have clean face on the Sabbath
il he wanted TO.
That law. although declared unconstitu-
tional, was never repealed and il is under it
that the present order was issued SO don't
feel at all troubled about the outcome Of this
matter. kept open until five or six years
ago, when the union carried their point Since
then have stayed away from my shop on Sun
days until within the past few weeks, but in
tend to keep open from now on"
WHAT Mr.. RoEssLE SAYS.
~ have kept my shop open on Sunday for
the last twenty years and no not propose to
close up now" That was the answer made by
Mr.. Roessle Of the Arlington. my men are all
non-union men, and say they want all the
money they earn for their families and
cannot afford to pay a walking delegate to put
on airs. They are perfectly willing to
work on Sundays. II q man wants shave he
certainly ought to be able to get it in town Of
this size. A man comes into hotel and wants
to clean up. His room may not have bath,
SO he goes at once to the barber
shop and takes bath and a
mn anf Ia anu H.,
morning than on any other morning fail TO
see it, NJ three men have the right TO issue
such an order as that and il is clearly uncon-
stitutional The question never would have been
started anywhere but in a provincial civ like
Washington. CSC. 900 inhabitants and the gas
lighted in the streets only when the moon Is
not expected to shine. The whole thing is
perfectly nonsensical. I am the presi-
dent Of the National Hotel Mems Asso-
citation with 1900 members and this
is the only place represented In the association,
with the exception Of small country towns,
where the idea of closing hotel barber shops on
Sunday would even be seriously discussed.
till noon on Sunday and they
should here. II the Commissioners
do not want to get shaved on Sunday, we'll and
good, but they should remember that there
are u lot Of people in this city who do, and
those people have rights that should be re-
spected. I am not q prohibitionist, even though
/ do not drink myself"
Mr.. STAPLES WILL KEEP OPEN.
Mr.. Staples Of Wizards said that the shop
there would certainly stay open IL the others
do. The proprietors Of the National have
decided to accommodate their guests
on Sundays and Mr.. Tenney has taken
as firm q stand as any of the other
managers. II necessary the case will be car
ried into the courts, but the hotel men are
evidently determined to keep right on doing
what they believe they have perfect right
to do.