The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-18
Wall OF THE CLERKS
They Want to Have the Stores Close
at Z O'Clock.
THE K. OF L. TO TAKE HOLD
Some of the Clerks Say the Pres
emit early" Closing Hour
Is Very Much of a
Delusion.

Now that the holiday season is over
and the tedious and wearisome work of
taking stock is about at an end, a num-
Der of business men and nearly all of
the clerks of the city are agitating the
closing of the stores at o'clock instead
of g. as heretofore. 1t is said during
the past two months the employees have
worked from 10 to Is hours every day.
The clerks say they don't mind putting
in so many hours a day two months in
the year, but when Ii comes to be an
everyday affair, and that, too, unnec-
essarily-its different-and they pro-
pose to inaugurate a change IL 1t be
possible. The matter will be brought
before the Clerks assembly, K. of L.,
and an earnest endeavor made to have
all business houses closed at a season.
'nble hour. 1t was through the efforts
of the Clerks assembly, backed up by
the knights of Labor of the city, that
the o'clock movement was made a
success. A few of the merchants OBJ
jected, but eventually every store in
town complied with the request of the
committee having the matter in charge
The business men and their assist
ants had been so accustomed to work.
ing from early morning till late at
any other inconvenience in the early
days. But when they saw how grace
fully their patrons fell into the habit of
doing shopping before o'clock they
wondered why some one did not inaug-
urate the early closing movement years
before. The people have become so
accustomed to the closing hour that
very little, IL any, business has been
done during the past six months after
6 O'Clock at night even on pay nights.
Speaking of the o'clock movement
well known grocery clerk said yester-
day, II go to work every morning at
2 O'Clock although we rarely have
customer before o'clock. That is all
right / believe every store should be
open for business early in the morn
ing. But ] think working until 9 and
10 o'clock every night is unnecessary,
behind the-times and wrong. In Den
Yer the stores close at 6 o'clock and
saturdays we had half holiday. A
ride of an hour or so on the bicycle, a
long walk, or similar healthful exercise
was daily INDUCED in by some of the
clerks; others passed their leisure
hours in reading, at the theater. or at
tending night school. We had to make
big fight to secure our rights, but we
finally won, and our employers were as
well pleased as the clerks before the
early closing movement was a month
old. Here in Anaconda l go to bed
usually half an hour after leaving the
store, and have little or no time to read
anything but the Standard. Some of
the fellows say they only have time to
read the headings 1 am not finding
fault with my employers-they are all
right-but / am registering a kick on
the custom that prevails here. / blame
no one but the clerks-if they would
take hold of the matter in a proper way
i believe they would be through work
every night and out of the store by
O'Clock. think the stores should be
closed at O'Clock, but the clerks with
whom have talked say O'clock would
take better"
And then there are the merry wives
of the business men and the clerks