Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-17
An Ex-Clerk Discusses Early
Closing Movement.
BUTTE APECULlAR TOWN
Thirty Per Cent of Business Done Be-
tween Hours of 6 and 8 in
Evening.
70 the Editor, Inter Mountain:

There seems to be considerable energy
displayed on the part of clerks to close
the mercantile houses at 6 o'clock. VAR
ious communications ave appeared in
the the daily papers,: also statements
that all the labor organizations had
unanimously endorsed this movement.
There now seems to be nc doubt, judy
ing from the sentiments expressed in
newspapers and circulars distributed,
about the success of the movement.
It would appear that the clerks would
be better off and many homes be bright
ened by their presence, but are we sure
that the time is ripe for this change?
Butte is a peculiar town, different in ev-
cry way from every other town in the
United states. The coal towns of Penn
sylvania are similar in many respects.
but in others vastly different. 1t took
them years to close their stores at 6
o'clock: and even now there are several
places as large as Butte which find it
impossible to take care of their trade on
the ten hour system and lave gone back
to the twelve hour.
After making a careful investigation
Of the stores in this city, one finds that
nearly thirty percent. of all of the bust
ness is lone between 6 and s o'cloc in
the evening. Anyone interested in the
subject can prove this by visiting the
various stores in the evening.
A careful investigation on the part OF
disinterested people has proven that the
merchants are about evenly divided on
the subject, and that those who are most
anxious to close at 6 O'Clock have motives
in view which may be somewhat surpris-
ing as well as embarrassing to the clerks.
They figure that they will save the extra
expense Of light and heat. and will be
able to reduce the salaries of their clerks
about twenty per cent. Competition
has become SO sharp in the town, by rea-
son Of the many large mercantile houses.
that profits have been greatly decreased
While rents have increased and wages IRE
higher than in any other city in the conn
try. BY reason of the reduction in prices
and sharp competition the cost of living
has been reduced SO that first-class homes
may be secured for from $500 to $500
per month. The average wages paid
young men are from $500 to $500 per
week higher than in any other city. in
GLIDING those located near here, such as
Spokane, Salt Lake, Denver, St. Paul,
Minneapolis and Chicago. making a diff
ference of from $4,000 to $4,000 per month
in amount of ages received, While the
cost of living is not more than from $500
to$12. 90 per month in a OF those
cities where wages are so much less. Az
ter carefully investigating we find that
in every city where the early closing
movement has been ~inaugurated. the
wages ave been reduced at least twenty
per cent. and it is safe to say that the
merchants of Butte Will avail themselves
of this opportunity.
The will be raised imme-
diately that the clerks have a union scale.
Very true; but / venture the statement
tina sixty per cent, of the clerks are re-
ceiving from twenty to forty per cent
higher wages than the scale provides,
and every clerk knows that 1t would be
civ r1v inn pOcFchh1p ln maintain a higher
scale thu the one now adopted. The re-
suit would therefore be the reduction OF
wages to the union scale with no hope OF
going beyond it.
It is Undoubtedly true that more than
half THE clerks in the city of Butte are
from abroad, and have no place to go ex-
cept to their rooms and boarding houses
! Where are they to spend their extra two
hours? The only places they can go are
the Public Library and possibly to church
one evening in the week. A visit to the
Library any evening and a careful inves-
J tigation of the loan department will CON-
vince any one that the clerks are not pa
irons to any extent. The city affords few
desirable attractions. There are no parks
/ no suburban places of resort. which arr
| particularly inviting, so that the proba'
bdlitie,s are that the clerks would either
spend the greater portion of their time
in their rooms, or on the street where
they would be susceptible to influence!
far more Injurious to their health and
character than he one hour extra work
The clerks of the city of Butte are NJ
doubt better paid, better treated. and al,
of a better class than in any other city
and it might we'll be said of their employ
ers, that a more liberal and m~agnanimou
lot of merchants could not be found.
After an impartial view of the entir
situation and in the light Of an experience
in other cities, it would appear that tn
merchants of Butte would no doubt pro
fit very much by closing their stores at
O'clock while the clerks themselves ~wh,
are SO anxious to bring about this move
ment would suffer very seriously.
The writer was a clerk for twent'
years and speaks from an experience
gained from the Atlantic to the Rock
mountains.