The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-06-01

CLERKS WON THEIR FIGHT.
Retail stores to Close at 6 in Sum-
mer and in Winter.

The retail clerks of Savannah have won
their fight for early closing. During the
summer months of June July, August
and September the retail stores of the
city will close at O'clock Saturdays ex-
ceptod, and at o'clock, Saturdays ex-
copied, during the remainder of the year.
The agreement to this effect has been
signed by the firms, individuals and cor
poratons, in the furniture, drygoods,
jewelry, millinery notions, fancy goods,
furnishings, stoves and house furnishings,
shoes, clothing, crockery and other bust
nesses of the like character. The only
important exception is the retail gro
Gerry business, and with those engaged in
this business the fight was not waged.
Otherwise success has crowned the efforts
of those interested in the movement all
along the line.
The result that has followed the eff
forts of che retail clerks TO secure earlier
hours could not have been secured with
out the assistance Of the committee Of
good women by whom the project was
taken UP aud lis favorable considera ton
by the merchants and others primarily
Interested secured. This committee con-
sisted CT Mis-. 7. B. Chisholm, Mrs. S. P
Hamilton, Mrs. 1. P. Mendes, Mrs. John
Kuck ana Miss Viola Kennedy. The
members of the committee desire to re-
turn their thanks to those merchants of
the city, whose acquiescence and cheerful
co-opera ton in the scheme for giving the
clerks. and especially the shopgirls, a
slight surcease from their labors toward
the end of the h0i summer days made 1t
possible of accomplishment.
Rev. l. P. Mendes and Mayor Herman
Myers have also interested themselves in
the project and have given to 1t the
weight of their influence. Wherever a
word was needed to decide with some
particular merchant the fate Of the move
ment. DR. Mendes or Mr.. Myers has
spoken it, and the ladies of the commit
tee, as well as the clerks willingly yield
to them share of the praise for secur-
ing it's success.
The movement had also the Endorsement
of a number of organizations of very divers
character including the Savannah Board
of Trade. the Kings Daughters the Coo
NAL Danes, the Daughters of the Amsri-
can Revolution, the Daughters of the Con-
federacy, the Savannah Trades and Labor
Assembly, the Ministerial Association and
others. with these Endorsements the plea
of the clerks was hard to resist. and the
merchants who were disposed to deny the
request for shorter hours so found it,
But there was little opposition. Savan-
nah merchants were disposed from the
beginning to allow the request and were
glad to do 1t when they found that others
in the same line of business in which they
were engaged favored 1t and would agree
to close their stores as soon as general
agreement to this effect could be reached
Under the new system of universal early
closing the merchants will all stand on the
same footing. and the chance OF loss val
be entirely obviated.
To help along the project a number o.
the prominent women of the city mac
promised that they would rot enter o.
| purchase anything from retail store af
ter the hours contemplated in the early
closing agreement that had been submit
ted to the merchants. Whatever secured it
| 1t is a matter of congratulation that Sa
/ vannah has been among the leaders in tht
movement In the South.