Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1892-11-05
BEHIND A COUNTER.
A SALESW WOMAN'S LlFE IN A
GREAT DRY GOODS STORE.
The Strain of Standing Many Hours
Brings On Dtseases-An Ella
borate System of Fin
ing Wages Paid.
n n ISS SMITH is a saleswoman
\I in big city dry, goods
Il VI shop. Smith isn't her name,

III plS city ufy Soous
1N shop. Smith isn't her name,
of course, and it woulda't do
to be more explicit about her place of en-
ployment. To do SO would probably re-
suit in sending her to look up new job,
and finding it would be very difficult
matter if it were learne1 that she had
been dismissed fol telling tales ont of
school. Dry goods firms believe 10 stand
ing by one another in that way always.
Miss Smith has been employed for seven
or eight years in various large houses in
this city aud knows whereof she speaks.
She says the conditions have improved
wonderfully since number of the
wealthy customers of the stores have
taken an interest in the girls and formed
themselves into the Consumers League.
"Still, there is plenty of room for i'm
provement," sheRsserts. 1.-The work Of
saleswoman in itself is not so hard.
but when you stand from 3 in the
morning until : in the afternoon, and
from 2:3O until s. you're pretty sure to
feel the strain physically in q very short
lime. As matter of fact, most of the
girls who have been saleswomen more
:han two years are suffering from some
chronic disease brought on by constant
standing. Do you know that girl EN-.
ployed for any length OF tine as sales
woman would have no show at all for
admission to the New York City Train
| ing School for Nursesl The Supern-
| tendent would consider the fact of her
! having had to stand constantly for years
as pretty good evidence of her inferior
| physical condition.
1.-THE 6ning system is one Of the definite
| grievances of the saleswoman Where /
am employed the fines are principally for
tardiness. If you are five minutes late,
| you are fined fifty cents. In fact, that's
the smallest fine we have There are
twenty-five girls in my department, and
[ have known eight of them to be fined
in one week from fifty cents to 50.
am pretty sure from what I've heard
about me that quarter of all the en-
ployes in the establishment are fined fifty
cents week. There are about 1000
people employed, and that would mean
q saving of about $500 week on the
wages account A percentage of this
amount, it should be said, is given to
fund for the assistance Of the sick en-
ployes.
"There are fines for other things than
being late, and of course we would not
thiuk it un Just that we were fined if we
were really late. But, as matter of
fact, we are frequently tined when we've
oeen quarter of an nour in advance of
opening time Yin the store. The en-
ployes come in at special entrance,
pass through long, narrow passage
lined with box like closets. Two puny
little girls are in attendauce behind a
counter. Tney are hardly able to carry
tie heavy coats aud rubbers aad wraps
the girls wear in winter. They must
take each girls wraps, put them ln her
special closet and give her check for
them. These children not being s.ron,
and active, it is not to be expected they
will be anything but slow. Besides thej
have too many to attend to. Frequently
you may arrive at the chop at twenty
minutes before s and not be able 70 get
rid Of your wraps before O'Clock. Yol
vav have your cloak Of, your apron on,
and your cneck book IN hand when you
l give your number &. the time
keeper's desa NJ excuse Whatever can
he accepted. Tnere may be sickness ~
: your home. That doesnt matter. II
you're late five minutes you're dockc /
ifty cents out Of your pay the following :
Saturday.
"Then il a. customer gives gol the
wrong address, and the man takes the
parcel there, only TO find no such per
| son, you are fined at the discretion Of
the tinekeeper, whether the fault vas
yours or Dot. II you break anything.
/