Waterbury Democrat., 1901-04-04

girls and two boys, employed 1t the dry goods store of the Turnbull Go, 49 to 53 South Main street, quit work, were paid off by the management and left for their respective homes. The group of girls created some comment about Exchange place and many were curious to know what was tlrp matter. A Democrat reporter talked with one or two of the girls i'll the lobby of tile postoffice and received q statement of the case which was substantially as follows:
 We were laid off yesterday and were told that we would have nothing to do to-day on account ofsthe storm. We objected to this because if it should be repeated every day business was dull, no matter what the cause, we could not earn eonugh to live on. While Mir Turnbull said that sending us home was due to the effect the weather had on trade, we know that this is not all. He was dissatisfied over the early closing movement and took this way of getting square with us. He never did it before and he wouldn't think of it now had it not been for the Tuesday night closing
 
 was q sword which would cut both ways and I suppose he decided to try his side of it at the first opportunity. None of the stores send home their help wet days Just think of it. Girls hurrying tofa store in such weather as this and when they get there be told that they are not wanted! The idea! He told us to call around tonight if the storm had ceased.
 After hearing what the clerks had to say on the subject, the reporter hied himself away tof-Turnbull's store for the purpose of learning what the man. ager had to say about it. The report CT found Mir IurnbTlll at his desk and at once introduced the question, at the same time telling him the nature of the complaint. Mir Turnbulf paused for few moments and then replied as follows
 Some of the allegations are true and others of them are false. It is a fact sent the clerks home yesterday because l had nothing for them to do. and for the same reason I could dis pense With their services to-day I don't see anything wrong about that If the factories have not work for all their help they send as many as they do not need home until they want them and no ohe pretenis toyqllestion their right to do it. AmI to De denied that privilege?s
 Il was opposed to closing Tuesday nights purely for business reasons. This is q manufacturing town and Il large number of people cannot spare time to do their trading: in the day time and it is hardship upon them to be obliged to come out certain nights. too. They want to do their trading at such times as will be most convenient to them, and my aim was to give them an opportunity to do that. Many of my customers spoke to me about the matter and requested me not to close Tuesday evenings. But the clerks were anxious to have me fall in line and finally I closed last Tuesday and intended to keep it u1s but while my place was closed other houses i'll my line were open, and those who called at Turnbull Co.'S and found the doors locked went to the stores that accommodated them. Is that using me right? Do you suppose wo- men who come into the center for things they want for themselves or their families will go home without them because the store they are in the habit of trading in is closed? Not at all.
 T deny, that ever said anything which would warrant the imputation that the early closing movement had anything to do with the sending home of the help yesterday. They imagined this. Yesterday they informed me that unless I should pay all of them full time for this week they would leave. I told them that was their privilege, and when they came i'll this morning and found out that they would not be paid for yesterday and probably not for to-day either, they asked for their time and I gave it to them. Some of the girls who went out have been here since we started six years ago, and l don't think any Of them will say that she has not been used right. We have several clerks of our own and that's why did not need the service of all the regular clerks yesterday or to-day"
 Here the interview ended and the reporter wended his way to the office, wondering as he went where this agi-. tation for shorter hours is going to end anyway. Much can be said on both sides, but all things considered, it would seem that ill the end the shorter day is sure to come, and the sooner employees and employers come to an undefStandlnS aDOuC It the better for everybody. Of course the closing of stores on nights when considerable business is in sight is an innovation that few men take to kindly and many would like to protest against it were it not that they do not care to run afoul of public opinion. It will take some time to get business men to look at the question from the standpoint of the wage earners. and i'll fact they never will be fully satisfied with the new order of things until they see as good returns at the close of each year for the capital invested as they had been making out of similar invest ments on the plan of go as you please. When that day comes there will be no trouble over the early closing matter, but unfortunately some of the dealers claim that this is out of the question and contend that the trade which the big houses about the center, which pay high rent and employ a large num- Der of clerks lose on account of being closed certain nights, goes to the small places on the outskirts and is dead loss to them But is is not un-