Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-10-08
AS TO CLOSING.

Up to few years ago the stores OF
Wausau were open every day and even
ing in the year, except Sunday after
noon and evening A different condi-
ton has since that time existed, though
it looks now as if there was an effort on
foot to go back to the old method of
doing business At first the merchants
of the city entered into compact to
remain closed all day Sunday. After a
few arrests had been made, and the
recalcitrant ones disciplined, this rule
worked well. 1t worked so well that
another movement was soon agitated
and brought into effect-that of closing
every evening except Tuesday and Sat
urday. This was brought about in
greater part by the clerks, in the var
ious places of business organizing a
body called the Clerks association, a
union as it were, for the cutting down
of their working hours from twelve or
thirteen to ten, except two days in the
week. Outside of few protests from
few stores on the outskirts of town,
until lately, this rule has worked salts
factorily to both employer and employe.
The employe has done the same work
and the employer the same business,
while both have had more time to give
to their families or friends. There is
no written law by which man in the
mercantile business can be forced to
close his place on an evening, but the
employer through courtesy acceded
to the request and the employe
appreciated the action. In seems,
however, that of late number
of the merchants have again been
keeping open evenings much to
the discontinue Of all concerned.
By this infraction of the rule other
merchants see their business drift
ing away from them, and the violators
of the rule reaping the benefit, while
before the eyes of the clerk there dawns
a vision of a recurrence of former con-
ditions with its long hours and attend
ing evils. OF those business men who
have remained close d there appears to
be restlessneSs. Some have declared
that those who violate the agreement
by keeping open ought to be boycotted
by the trading public; some that the
public should make manifest its appro-
val of the closing movement either one
way or the other, while others who be-
lieve in keeping open have only been
held down by the greatest exertion on
the part of others. Thursday evening
of last week a meeting of the Business
Mems association was called at the
court house and after due discussion
the following resolution was adopted
RESOLVED, That the majority of mer-
chants of this association are dissatis-
fed with the present early closing
movement, in view of the fact that sew
eral stores make no pretense of closing,
and unless public opinion suStains, the
movement better, the question OF open
ing all stores evenings will he consid-
cred at our next meeting.
At meeting of the clerks held Friday
evening a committee was appointed to
visit those merchants who had been re-
ported as keeping open. These mer-
chants when visited by the committee
the following day all signified willing
ness to close except few. These few
are fruit dealers and they stated that as
soon as the fruit season is over, when
they have no stocks on hand to spoil,
they would be perfectly willing to COM
ply with the request made Of them.
The clerks are very sanguine in their
hopes that the present early closing
movement will be kept in force.