The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-02-24

that were unknown to women ten years
ago. Special talent commands position
and remuneration.
Money Earning Effort.
Take the foundation principle OF
the "shop girls" earnings. 1t is based
directly on the value OF her
labor. Every employee OF one OF
these big stores is practically on COM
mission-her efforts and abilities earn
money in proportion to their worth. She
is in way a stockholder in the concern.
Her salary is certain percentage on
the sales she makes. This percentage is
fixed by business experience. In the ex-
pense of conducting the business such
and such a percentage is allowed for cost
of selling the goods by the sales
people. To earn her salary the employee
must sell certain amount OF goods. This
is, of course the principle in every trade
house but In the big companies 1t is elab-
grated to nicely. When young girl or
boy goes to work there q nominal
sum is allowed while the busi-
ness is being learned, SO to
speak. AS talent, energy, and tact de-
velope the employee into a competent
sales person, and more sales 60 to her
credit, her salary Is increased. Promotion
accompanies it, and the employee arises
from cash boy or tender to
an aisle bargain stand, to
third and second assistant to the head of
the department and finally to the position
OF buyer, and head herself. OF course,
some clerks have special abilities, as for
instance, the care and keeping of
stock, which commands price, while
others sell the goods she keeps in good
order. When she becomes a buyer she
goes to Boston or New York and into the
market. Some big houses have women
drummers on the road. She Is independ-
ent, courageous and making money.
This does not take into considera-
tion the public Inconvenience Of closing
all the stores in town that employ wo-
men at o'clock Saturday evening. This
is serious matter. Thousands of per-
sons have no other time to do their pur-
chasing except Saturday evening.
Here Is Case I'm Point.
When the Knights of Labor were pretty
nearly all powerful in this State 1t in
cluded the dry goods clerks and
strong effort was made to have
the down town stores close
earlier Saturday evening. The folly
OF it was evident to all the big concerns,
but some OF them agreed to shut up Il all
would. One or two, however, refused to
go into this sort OF "trust." Finally
the others were induced to give
the shutting up scheme
trial and it was urged that no busiw =
would be lost as the loyal
Knights and Ladies OF Labor
who formed great proportion
OF the Saturday night shopping company
-weuld refrain from coming down towt
and going into the stores tha
kept open. The experiment was
tried and after three or four weeks OF it
tho committee Of Knights who engineered
it "threw up both hands ''and told the firms
who had entered into IL that no further
objection would be made TO their opening
their doors again. The stores that kept
open had simply doubled their Saturday
night business to the loss of the stores
that closed and there was no reason TO be-
lieve that sentiment had overruled conve-
nience among the shoppers represented
in the labor organizations.
In other words, il in such time as that
when the "early closing" sentiment was
so tremendous II was not strong
enough to support the houses
that were disposed To hearken to it, i'm
agine the public CONSERVATION that would
result from forcing closing OF the stores
on Saturday nights.
Az evidenced by their petition, not
woman clerk is opposed to the extra
hours. Why should she be--any more than
men? There Is afforded an extra oppor-
tunity for her to make sales, to earn
more money, TO increase her knowledge
OF the varying demands OF the business.
On stormy days, when business is at q
stand still, she may leave her counter and
20 home earlier than usual. What extra
labor, so far as II may be reg srded as extra
labor, she does at any time, Is often made
up TO her i'm n house which Is watching
her we flare and interests as an integral
part OF its own success.
Ambitions Field.
All this calls for ambition, and ambi-
The ambitious woman like the ambitious
man knows no hours. She is working
and thinking ell the time about
the business 90 which she
Is devoting her life. She works after the
rest OF the sales people have gone
home. She works well into the
evening TO get up window
di5.lass thai shall show OF bsr depart urent
attractivcly 10 shoppers ON the street.
She prepares The copy Tor the correspond
encc OF her department, and oftentimcs as
stsxs In ma kfuo he aunou M N mi nfs NJ hox