The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-10-14
DRUGGISTS AND CLERKS BOTH
MEET TONIGHT.
TWO MEETINGS WILL BE HELD
Movement Looks Toward Having
Stores Shut Their Doors at Nine +
Employees Make Request For
Shorter Hours. !,

At meetings that are to be held this
evening by the drug clerks and en-
plOyers of drug clerks there is likely to
he important action taken with REFER
ence to shortening the business hours
of drug houses and working hours of the
clerks.
The movement was started some time
ago and has gone SO far already as to
receive favor at the hands OF some, IL
not all, of the principal drug houses of
the city. This evening a regular meet
ing of the Silver Bow Retail Druggists
association will be held. Some members
of the association today admitted that
it was quite possible the matter of clos
ing the stores earlier in the evening
would be discussed at the meeting to-
night. A petition has been circulated
among the druggists requesting them to
close their stores at 9 o'clock in the
evening. This petition has been signed
by several if not all, Of the large deal
ers and the impression seems to pre-
vail that the movement for earlier clos
ing will go through.
Clerks Meet Tonight.
At the meeting of the clerks organiza-
tion this evening the subject of earlier
closing will come up for discussion. The
clerks not only want the stores to close
earlier in the evening than they do now,
but they also want shorter hours for
themselves. They request that they
shall not be required to work more than
ten hours a day and that five hours
every other Sunday shall be the limit Of
the services demanded of them on the
first day of the week.
II don't look for any trouble over this
matter of earlier closing Of the drug
stores," said clerk this morning. "TEe
proprietors seemed to be inclined to fall
in with the ideas of the clerks. have
not Joined the clerks union yet myself
but shall do so when I am asked to do
so. AS it is now I am working twelve
hours a day and it seems only reason
able that we should be allowed a little
time to rest off duty as we'll as the other
people in Butte. The change that we
desire to bring about will not, 1 think,
necessitate the employment of more
men in the large houses. 1t may neces-
state the running of the stores with
fewer men at some hours of the day,
but 1t does not seem to me that that
will interfere with the business that is
being done. Drug clerks all over
the country. or in most parts
of it, at least, work pretty long
hours and all we want is show with the
rest of the people"
Employees Favor Shorter Hours.
'"I can't say a great deal about the
earlier closing movement" declared a
member of the druggists association
this morning, for the reason that the
plans are not definitely formulated as
yet. The association is to hold meet
ing tonight and the matter Of earlier
closing may come up for discussion. If
it does there will probably be something
definite to give out to the public tomor-
row. I don't think the petition request
ing the store keepers to close earlier has
been signed by all the members of the
association. Our firm is in favor of the
earlier closing and has shown that such
is the case by signing the petition. or
course, the earlier closing will have no
effect on the prescription business. We
will have to be ready at all times to fill
prescriptions, just as we are nOw."
The movement among the druggists
and clerks to lessen their business hours
has naturally attracted the attention OF
union men generally in Butte, as they
are persons who have for years kept .
close lookout for all favorable signa
having for their end the shortening Of
the hours of labor of those who work for
a living. The results Of the meetings to-
night will be awaited with interest by
hundreds of people in Butte.
The drug stores will, in all likelihood,
close at 9 o'clock tomorrow night.