The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-27
EARLY HOURS MAY CEASE Movement Possibly Will End Next Week. ONE FIRM CAUSES TROUBLE Refused to Enter Into the
 General Agreement. Competing Establishment Finds It Suffers and Entire Situation
 Has Become Uncertain.
 Business Men Meet.

Early closing in Montgomery may end with the close of next week.
 Messrs. Kohn Brothers and Cohen, pro- prietors of the Hub Clothing Store. who signed the agreement for two weeks, conditionally, yesterday notified the Re- tail Trade Committee of the Commercial and Industrial Association that they would stop closing their store at o'clock when the two weeks period under their agreement %td ended.
 Tho proprietors of the Hub were orig inally disinclined to sign the agreement, but they finally signed upon the condi- ton that they were to close their store at o'clock at the end of two weeks if they found that they were losing trade under the, closing at six.
 The proprietors of one of the furnish ing stores of the city refused positively to sign the agreement, and have kept their store open until 2 o'clock, and for this reason the proprietors of the Hub say that closing at six has put them at disadvantage,
 Upon receiving the Hubs notice from the Messrs. Kohn, Chairman Emanuel Meertief. of the Retail Trade Commit tee, called his Committee together. The situation was discussed but no definite action was taken.
 One of the proprietors of the Hub ap- peared before the Committee and stated their position. They felt that closing their store at o'clock was a personal loss to themselves. They had signed the agreement with the condition hat they might keep their store open after six at the end of two weeks, if early closing in- jured their business. They had found, he sad at the end of three days early closing that they were losing trade by reason of the fact that a rival store was not guided by the agreement
 The concensus of opinion among the Committee was that the only remedy for the State of affairs was for all the stores of the city to act together in closing at six. The Committee had worked unceas- ingly and untiringly to secure absolute unanimous action on the part of all the retail stores of the city, but had failed to secure the signature of one firm, and only one.
 The Committee felt that public senti- ment was with them in their effort to secure shorter hours for the clerks and they hoped that this public sentiment
 would become strong enough to align all
 merchants in the early closing movement. No line of action was open to the Com | mittee but to await developments, and
 to assist in strengthening public opinion in behalf of the clerks. So upon public
 opinion alone does the continuance of the movement depend.
 Ten working days remain in which something may be done to prevent the failure of the early closing movement. It was announced yesterday that commit tee of prominent and influential citizens, who have not heretofore been identified with the ovement, would be organized, and the members would use their best efforts to secure unanimous action among
 the merchants. In this they hope to se-
 cure the cooperation of an aroused pub. lie sentiment.
 This committee has not been fully or ganized, but it's work is expected to be- gin within the next two days. The work may go to the extent of appealing to the public generally to assist in securing shorter hours for the retail employees by refusing ta do any trading after G. A canvass may be taken among certain classes of the city In the effort to have all buying done before the agreed closing | hour
 The withdrawal of a single firm from the agreement, it is held by the mer chants, will mean the failure of the whole movement.
 "The agreement" said a well known merchant yesterday. may be compared l to an arch, off which every firm is a key stone. The withdrawal of a single l firm will mean the fall of the entire struc- ture'
 An effort will be made, however. to con- | tinue the early closing of the stores even | though all the furnishing stores of the city should withdraw. An attempt will be made to persuade all other merchants | to continue to close at for sixty days. Speaking of the crisis which confronts | the Retail Trade Committee. a member
 of the committee said yesterday;
 The position of the Messrs. Kohn | Bros & Cohen is understood and appre- | ciated by the committee. They have eX- pressed their willingness to carry out | their agreerhent to the letter. It was un- | derstood by the committee that they were ] to resume closing at D. m. if they found l that closing at interfered with their business. after a two-wccks trial, The 1 trouble has arisen over the fact that the | agreement is not unanimous with the fur
 nlshng men. The remedy. as l take it.. lies in an appeal to the public for all trading to be done before 6,
 'The most of the trading that has been
 done after think has been done by mechanics and lahoring men who have | shorter hours than the men and the lady
 clerks in the various retail stores of the
 city I am sure that if they understand
 the situation fully. and knew that upon
 them depended the securing to the clerks ] of the same benefits enjoyed by them
 they would act in harmony with the
 clerks and merchants who want early
 closing for the next sixty days"
 Speaking of this matter, Mir. J. F. wors. l wick said:
 'I am very sorry to hear of the likell-
 hood of the early closing movements failure For, as I understand it. the move
 ment will fail if any of the firm now as | soriated in the agreement withdraw The merchants. without any soliclta-
 ton on the part of their employe. have