The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-07-06
CLOSING MOVEMENT
AT ACUTE STAGE
The Clerks Association Wearied of
Trying to Prevail on the Two
Merchants Who Refused to OBJ
serve Early Closing, Decide to Let
the Central Labor Union Act and
the Latter Body Meet Sunday.

The early closing movement has as
sumed that stage where IL is deemed
necessary to invoke the aid of the CEN
tral Labor union in order TO bring in
line the merchants in the city who re-
fuse to lose at $50 each evening, the
hours specified in the agreement be-
tween the Merchants association and
the Association of Clerks.
The struggle between the Clerks as
sociation and the two merchants re-
| ferred to, one a Main street dealer. the
other of Park street, for IL has reached
to a struggle has been in progress
| for several months Their refusal to
observe the agreement has been a bone
| OF contention between the clerks and
| the Merchants association. The fact
of these two stores remaining onen and
making sales after their neChhors had
closed their stores and gone home Of
Tended the latter, and when it was
persisted in, it rilcd the merchants. and
there has scarcely been a meeting of
| the association for months at which
this was not a fertile topic of discus
sion, and which on a few occasions
threw the more remonstrative ones
into a ferment of anger. The Clerks
association was made the target of
| Csnsurc for seemingly allowing these
| two merchants to continue violating
! the agreement without measures being
! taken that would compel the closing of
every store at the hour agreed upon.
| The clerks. on the other hand, protest.
! ed that they did not care to use harsh
! measures until circumstances forced
| them to. and they preferred to exhaust
| every other means before invoking the
| aid Of the Central Labor union. In
! the meantime the two merchants who
| have come under the ban continued to
! sell goods up to any hour that suited
| the convenience of buyers, while the
| merchants dissatisfaction and anger
| grew. The climax came last week
| when the Merchants association asked,
| or it might he said. formally demanded
| the clerks to use its pwoer. What
| ever il might amount to, to force the
| storekeeperS referred 20 close at $50
| The clerks were still disposed TO pro-
| long the matter in the hope that the
| rcalctrants would fall in line; but this
| hope bore little fruit. and the early
| closing movement being threatened
| with a sudden death, the clerks hast
| ened to take action, and at their meet
! ing this week they decided on the
steps which they hoped so long would
| not he necessary to take.
The matter was placed in the hands
| Of the grievance committee, and this
! body, after Canvassing the situation,
| was forced to the conclusion that the
| bringing of the names of the two mer-
chants before the Central Labor union
was the alternative between the sue
cess or defeat of the early closing. The
committee reluctantly took this course,
but as it seemed the salvation of the
members. the decision was agreed upon
and the two merchants names will he
presented to the Central Labor union
meeting tomorrow afternoon. for that
body to take what action it may deem
| advisable and proper.