The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-08-09
LIFE IN ENGLISH SHOPS.
THE SYSTEM OF LIVING IN AND
ITS CONSEQUENCES.
Offences For Which Fines Are Imposed
Apathy Engendered by Servitude-
Clerks Fined IL Customers Depart

Clerks Fined IL Customers Depart
without Making Purchases.
The shop assistants" us they are
called in England, are class by
themselves, writes a. l.. Nogl from
London to the New York Post. So
cially they hold aloof from manual
workers. considering themselves SUI
perior, while themselves regarded by
the clerical and professional classes
ms inferior to those who are termed
brain workers. This social reserve on
the part of the shop assistants may
be accounted for by the peculiar con
ditions of their daily life. II is the
custom In all English retail shops for
the assistants to board and lodge upon
the premises; housekeeper being
provided by the shopkeeper to attend
to the domestic needs of his hands.
The daily routine of Il shop assistant
is about as follows: Rise at seven
breakfast half an hour later, begin
shop duties at S.1j.
The ordinary English shop has one
aisle running through the centre. with
counters along each side, in contrast
to the American store, with its many
sections, and cross-sections. and cor
ner booths Each assistant has
particular length. usually about six
or nine feet, of counter mt which he is
compelled to stand all day long. AS
sistants go In patches to dinner and
tea--served in Il room above the shop
and are usually allowed ten minutes
between the time they leave the table
until they reappear at their counters
Shop hours are from S.i5 Il. m. to
9.1j p. III. As result of the efforts
of what Is called the Early-Closing
Association, most shops now close
once II week at , p. IN. This early
closing movement arose during the
agitation in England for shorter
hours for workers. Previously. shop
assistants had very little time for any
recreation, and none at all for that
Indispensable social pastime-court
ing After shop hours they are free
until II p. IN. Tor midnight on early
closing nights at which hour they
must be within doors. keys not being
allowed except to department heads
Married men are, however, permitted
to go to their homes from Saturday
night until Monday morning.
The bedrooms or dOrmitoreS are fit
ted with single cots and accommo-
date from three to eight in n room.
a sitting-room is provided for the men,
and one for the women, and in most
shops the sexes are allowed one social
evening Il week. when they may meet
in the women's sitting-room. SO thor
oughly is this ''living-in" system ma
tional Institution that Il special clause
has been inserted in the Truck Act
excepting those stores where the as
sistants live in" from the operation
of its provisions requiring that all
wages shall be paid in money and not
in kind. Shop assistants receive Il
small salary besides their keep, and
commission on sales. A good sales
mans wages will thus about equal
those of a mechanic, except that he
will work about seventyeight hours
a week, while the mechanic will work
but fifty-two.
According to English law 1t is Illegal
to deduct anything from an employees
wages where they are Il fixed sum,
| but as the wages of shop assistants are
largely commissions, fines can be de.
| Quoted therefrom without breaking
| the law. Hence, in nearly every shop,
| they are subjected to set of fines,
| the imposing of which depends upon
| the >fioor-wallSer; and ms may be sup
| posed from this, the particular friends
of that gentleman, especially among
| the women, the free from this annoy
| ance. To allow customer to leave
the counter without making pur-
| chase Invariably means fine for the
unlucky assistant, and in most shops
three such causes for fine in the course
of one day-serving three swaps, as it
| Is termed in shop lingo-means dis
missal. This rule effectually prevents
! the English woman from indulging
| in those inspection tours of the shops
| which are so dear to the hearts of all
| American women. Many ruses are
| practlced by assistants 20 escape
"swapa-" Should he fail to sell Gus
toner an article he will induce her
to accept some pattern or material,
] hiA'i " hiN NADi"sHihS w 'llt
walker that the customer wanted pat
terms in order to select the goods at
home; or he will suggest that she may
require something in another depart
ment, and pass her over to some other
assistant, ,Rwardly signing with re-
lief.
Fines are inflicted for the most
trivial offenses, and it is not unusual
for an assistant to find his whole com
mission mulcted at the end of the
week. The folloyng list is copied
from n notice posted in all the dormi-
tories of one large dry goods house in
London.
Sleeping out without permit, fine
one shilling.
Arriving late in shop fine one shill-
ing.
Absence from prayers, fine one shill-
ing.
Leaving counters without cause, fine
six pence.
Allowing customers to leave the
counter without purchasing, fine one
shilling.
Burning lights in bedrooms after
hours, fine six pence.
Eating behind counters, fine three
pence.