Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-08-01
Early Closing.

the "early closing movement wherever
| have lived, tor the reason that for
several years | was clerk i'll a dry goods
store
am glad to see the stores closed
early for the sake of the store keepers.
They are the body of men whose char
acter and energy usually de,erminethe
growth uf a town. III they are selfish
aud grasping, the towns people soon
know it, and you can't keep the coun-
try people from knowing also, and peo
pie will patronize them only when they
can't help it, lfthere are other towns
near by where men of more generous
disposition do business Ut will be found
out, and these towns will draw, the re-
suit being growth To these GOWNS while
your town stands still
Yes, my fellow citizen, your town
depends very largely on your merch
ants. The nobler they are the better
it Will be for your city. Therefore.
rejoice when they are not so complete
do nothing but attend on its customers
early and late-sunday and Saturday.
Your merchant can be u noble man
only when he enjoys freedom from bus
mess cares on the Sabbath and has a
few hours every evening to enjoy his
home and the fellowship of his
family.
congratulate the merchants on this
movement for decent Sabbath and a
shorter day of labor through the week.
You will lessen your expenses by short
ening the hours-less electric light will
be needed now, and less light and fuel
in the winter. You will also increase
the volume of yonr business by the
Improvement which shorter hours will
certainly bring tothes spirit and temper
of your clerks, and your own temper
also. They do not intend now to be
either listless or careless to custom
ers, and neither do you. but business
must be more heartily conducted
when the hours are shorter and
/ less exacting. Fewer customers will
go away without making purchases,
feeling that you were not interested
in meeting their wants. Business will
be greater pleasure all around.
| rejoice in the early closing move
ment on the clerks account also.
What wear and tear of nerve tissue
lit is to stand behind the counter from
Z a. m. to 8 or 10 p m. in any season,
but especially in such weather as this.
q remember it very well) Who can
feel that this is a grand country, and
echo Fourth of July sentiments when
q selfish public makes such demands
) of them. Where the clerks have no
time to read or study, ambitious
schemes, plans for noble work for
humanity flash through the weary
brain, but go again without arousing
them to effort. They have no oppor-
tunity for communing with nature.
Fellowship i'll Christian and philan-
throplc work is not for them. They
can hardly find opportunity to wor-
ship God, the most elevating exercise
of the human mind
So far. therefore, as the over worked,
tired-out clerk touches the life of our
city can you blame him, or her, ii their
influence is hurtful rather than bene-
licial9 No, you must blame your
selves, my fellow citizens.
But am glad that as the employers
touch the public mind on this ques-
: tion OF early closing. they feel that the
time has arrived when public senti-
ment is safely and largely in favor of
making this effort, and l sincerely
+ hope that the purchasing public will
more and more take an interest in this
! movement, which is in line with the
spirit of tie times, and do their shop
| ping within the hours the stores are
: now advertised to keep open.
Don't tempt the sellishness of any
D lstorekeeper by asking that you be
served when he should be closed, either
/ week nights or Sundays Help to
8 bring our merchants up to the best
r grade of citizenship. Help them to
. make their homes happy with their
I presence in the evening. Look in on
them there and compliment them on
their generous spirit and assure them
you will stand by them. j never have
: liked the boycott" idea, but certainly
: the merchant who loves his family
. enough to make manly effort tt
spend his evenings with them and tt
d go to church with them, and who love!
!, his employees enough to stand man
r fully for their welfare. is the mer
J. chant who will be found the mos
d honorable to deal with.
!; In community like this where OH
people are largely working people
railroad men and the like, who ar,
j. eager to stand together for mutua
benefit, this effort of the merchant
for the benefit of their clerks, and o
g the clerks for shorter hours of labo
should have full support. Yours yer,
Respectfully,
3 J. MACALLIsTER,
Pastor Presbyterian Church.
" Published by request of Retail
# Clerks Union.