The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-02-18
The Views OF ons who Has studied tho
Question.
Ex-DELEGArE.

To THE EDrroR-Sir: | read with much
interest your editorial entitled Female
Slavery in New York." containing an nc
count Of tho researches made by Miss
Alice s. Woodbridge into the condition o
the saleswomen of that city. Having had
an experience Of seven years in the dry
goods stores OF this city as n saleswoman,
j can state unhesitatingly that the picture
is not overdrawn, even il il were painted
especially for our own beloved Ipdianapo-
lis. Many instances in my own expert
ence may be cited to prove that the con-
dition OF saleswomen in this city, il in
quired into in a systematic and effective
way, would disclose n state of affairs most
needy OF immediate legislative action and
which would appeal to the earnest church
workers for active remedy in a practical
way.
II is true that the working hours are ex-
ccssive and that over time is not paid for.
In the eight-hour movement the laboring
man was amply provided for and repre-
scented, but in the agitation upon thisgreat
question not n reference was made or a
word spoken i'm behalf OF the working
women of this city and their needs for
shorter hours OF labor. Nine 10 ten hours
per day is the time Of service required in
dry goods stores. and in the large and
fashionable establishments, with one or
two exceptions, Saturday and Monday
evenings add three hours OF night work,
and this without any extra compensation.
The hours of labor are guarded with a
watchful eve by the merchants, and every
minute of time the employee is late must
be accounted for by fine, reprimand, and
in many cases loss of situation. One store
where | was employed had a system of
fines for tardiness, under which a clerk
three minutes late would be fined cents;
five minutes, 10 cents; ten minutes, ID
cents; fifteen minutes, % cents, etc, while
for thirty minutes hardness one-half
days pay would he deducted.
A clerk who was employed
by this store, and supporting her mother
upon the scanty salary che received, was
detained one morning by the serious i'll
ness of her mother, and hurried breath
less TO the store just as the clock indi-
Gated that she was thirty minutes late.
She explained the cause of her hardness,
but was informed that the rule was infleX-
ible, and she must be fined one-half days
pay. She then returned home and spent
the morning administering TO the comfort
of her sick mother. On returning to the
store ut l o'clock, she was upbraided by
the proprietor for not remaining, and was
informed that as she "could not conform
TO the rules" she must resign. This clerk
had. during the same week, given TO the
store more than thirty minutes lover
time" for which she received no pay.
During my own clerkshIp in the
store referred TO, in one week ] re-
NAMED two evenings over thirty
minutes each time marking new
goods, and at the end OF the week found
ten cents deducted from my salary for five
minutes OF alleged hardness OF which
had no knowledge. TWAS not customary
to inform the clerks at the time OF fines
imposed, and many time the little take
off" at the end OF the week was the first
knowledge the clerks had OF any hardness,
but from the decision there was no appeal.
This, too, in store whose proprietor is
lauded az noble Christian gentleman"
whose liberaity TO. the church won for
him the esteem and patronage OF many
Christian families. III they knew that his
liberal donations for sweet charity's sake
were wrung by such petty usury from the
scanty earnings of his employes-that to a
great extent his Christianity was his
stock in trade-hOw many would continue
their patronage as a reward TO this faith
full church worker? Prayer meetings
were held weekly by this christian"
merchant at his own residence ostenslbly
for the moral welfare OF his employees, but
as the merchant almost daily instructed
his clerks in methods leaning toward dis
honesty, and failed utterly to put into
practice the principles OF Christianity,
his professional piety served merely as a
cloak to cover his shortcomings and bait
which attracted the dollars of his church
people TO his Golfers. Columns could be
| written giving occurrences which came
under my personal observation In the
store OF the merchant referred to.
Long years OF continued imposition
upon the rights of female employees has
led every clerk to accept as essential TO the
retention of her position this rule: when
the store needs extra time from YOU, you
must give il freely, without murmur and
without price" New goods are constantly
coming in at these large stores. They
must be properly assorted and arranged in
stock, and the price carefully marked in
cipher on each piece. The merchants re-
quire the lady employees to remain in al
ter the store has closed to attend TO this
duty, which requires generally from thirty
minutes to two hours of time. Spasmodic
BdcTl0Ce sales occur dOO Often IluleS tue
entire force is required for several eve
nings getting ready Tor the sale, marking
down goods, cutting whole pieces into
remnants" and 'short lengths" etc. Not
a cent of extra pay is allowed for this ex-
ira work. Last fall fashionable dry
goods store in this city gave grand
opening" with elaborate display. One of
the lady clerks liz attendance, dressed in a
neat black suit, and exhibited to the adj
miring gaze of the multitude of our peo-
pie who thronged the store on
that occasion, was one who with
the balance OF the clerks had been
required to- work hard until 10
and III o'clock for several days previous.
| Upon her salary was dependent for sup
/ port her mother and an invalid father,
who is yet confined to his bed by reason
OF slow and incurable complaint. The
poor girl had become so exhausted by the
extra labor required that she fell sick.
Feeling that she could not afford TO lose
her wages, she reported on the afternoon
of the grand opening two hours late. In
the evening she tainted from exhaustion
and was sent home in a hack from the
store. She was unable to return TO work
that week, and on Saturday evening her
mother called for her wages. The store
deducted from her paw not only the two
days she was absent but the two hours
she lost by sickness. and paid nothing for