The evening times., 1899-12-15

the farmers will choose different day for
their business. There is really no especial
reason why this should not be done. and
when a change is once made there is i'm
planted in the human breast sort OF
aversion to returning to the former order
of things. This reluctance to go backward
ever, in small matters is the chief reason
why one may believe that the new fashion
will be permanent. Though the Saturday
half-holiday system has disarranged bust
ness and social relations to some extent
in every town where it has been adopted,
none of these towns has yet gone back to
the OLD way: and it is the same with the
six O'Clock closing. the ten-hour law. and
other changes resulting In lessening of the
hours Of labor.
Some conservative people are inclined
to think that this gradual shortening OF
hours and increasing of holiday time in
dicates degeneraey, and that it is not good
for a people to have too many holidays.
or course, If holiday making were carried
to an extreme. this would prove true, but
1t is not likely that in America it will ever
be carried to an extreme. So far as it
has gone, the movement for shorter hours
has everywhere been beneficial. The most
prejudiced observer cannot but admit this.
There are places where clerks in shops
are required to work from early in the
morning till eight or ten in the evening;
but these clerks are not brighter or more
business-like than those in the city shops,
a. from, riU
a. m. to six p. m, with half an hour Tor
luncheon: and it is not at all likely that
more business would be done by the latter
If they too. required their clerks to YORK
from twelve to fourteen hours day. 1t
is beginning to be understood that human
being needs at least as much consideration
as horse if he is to be kept in working
trim. and that he will do better work and
more of it If he is given a proper amount
of rest, food and care. The middle class
of working people are better paid and more
comfortable in this country than they ever
were before and they undoubtedly do more
work than their predecessors. 1t is as
plain as the multiplication table that an
intelligent man is more useful than
stupid one, and it is equally obvious that
the better-paid man will, in the long run,
be more intelligent than the one who has
only enough monsy to enable him to exist.
One thing should be taken into account
in connection with the holidays OF the
average American. especially if he belong
to the middle class-if he is clerk,
skilled mechanic, a bookkeeper, or cashier
He is not likely to spend that holiday in
mere pleasuring. He has often some busi-
ness of his own on hand, which takes up
his spare moments. Perhaps he has
little home in the suburbs, which he Is
buying by degrees; perhaps he is study
irg some profession or doing some sort
of outside business. This is in the nature
of change of work. a recreation, and
sends him back to his regular occupation
refreshed and eager to make more money
and do better work. Thus his holiday does
not demoralizc him, and it certainly makes
him a better citizen. II he spent the time
sitting around in the sun, or dancing a
fandango. it might be different. though
these occupations are not bad in the proper
place.