Evening star., 1895-06-08
EARLY CLOSING
The Movement Has Worked Salts
factorily With the Banks.
4 TALK WITH MIR. JOHN JOY EDISON
Coal Clerks and Ice Men Want
Consideration.
U PIT WIN MERCH NTS

For two years now the banks and fnan-
cial institutions of Washington have been
observing the law which makes a half
holiday each Saturday. This is an English
custom which has always been found to
work very satisfactorily in the old country,
and many American cities have adopted
the plan one by one, and in every case, SO
far as is known, there has never been any
serious complaint that the Saturday half
holiday interfered with the course of busi-
ness. There was some fear among the local
merchants when the law was enacted two
years ago lest the early closing of the
banks might interfere with the weekly pay
rolls of their establishments, but it now ap-
pears that these fears are groundless, and
every Saturday of the year the financial
Institutions of the District close their doors
at noon. and everybody seems to be perfect
ly coEtent.
THE law has operated very satisfac-
torily," said Mr.. John Joy Edison, presi-
dent of the Washington Loan and Trust
Company, to Star reporter this morning.
1T is a question whether the bankers
would care to go back to the old system
now, after having given the half-holiday
plan thorough trial. 1t relieves the pres
sure very much, and Is a valuable privilege
to all the employees, as well as the Off
cials of the institution. At first the mer-
chants found it to be somewhat inconven-
lent to readjust their plans to accommo-
date themselves to the early closing. but
they nave readily fallen into the habit of
making out their pay rolls Friday instead
of Saturday, and drawing their cash early
Saturday morning. This causes a very busy
day with us Saturday morning, good
deal Of business is condensed into few
hours, but as we are ready on duty lit
tie more business transacted in the same
length of time makes only slight differ
ence. 1 think the advantages are very ap-
parent and the operation of the law most
satisfactory. 1 could not say, of course,
how 1t would do to extend the operations
of the law to other business interests, as
what affects us satisfactorily might not
have the same effect with a merchant.
Speaking for the banks and similar institu-
tions of the city, am ready to say that we
are we'll satisfied with the present state of
things
Ice Men and Coal Clerks.
Thus it will be seen that so far as expe-
| rienced the early closing in Washington
has proved success, and it is believed
that few interests would suffer If the mer-
chants would make general agreement to
close their establishments at an earlier
hour than usual. or, indeed, to close them
through the summer earlier every day of
the week. The suggestions that have been
made in these columns during the past few
days to this effect are bearing fruit, and
the discussion is attracting widespread in
terest. The Star is in receipt Of two let
ters today from men of widely divergent
oallings, each, however, In the interest of
lighter labors during the heated term
Curiously enough, these letters come from
two occupations that are antagoniStic
as possible. One is from clerk in a coal
dealers Office, who pleads that the coal
clerks should have brief holiday on sum-
mer Saturdays, because that is the time
when their business is the least pressing.
On the other hand, the other letter comes
from an ice man, who believes that his
fraternity should be taken into considera-
tion for the very reason that they are too
busy during the summer. The ice mans
letter is as follows:
while the movement is on foot about
closing business houses on Saturday for
falf day and one hour earlier during the
otter five, why not, through the columns
OF your paper, suggest the discontinuance
of the ice man on Sunday? 1t was tried in
the summer of '93, and proved a success
for while, until the companies that sell
ice started the sale on Sundays to men
who only served that day. Then the 'regu-
lars had to start up, in order to retain
their trade. The ice man is serving ice
from O'Clock in the morning until, in
some cases, o'clock in the evening. There
is no such thing in that business as sitting
down or loafing, and therefore l hope that
you Will start the movement and continue
1t until victory is yours and ours, thereby
aiding all classes and receiving the thanks
of the ice men,"