The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-06-06
A CLOUD ON THE HORIZON.
Brief Review of the Difficulty Existing
Between the Clerks Protective AS
ISOLATION and the SchWabacher Co.

ISOLATION and the SchWabacher Co..
The regular meeting of the Retail
CLERKS Protective Association of this
city took place last Thursday evening
at Trades and Labor hall. A large
and representative attendance was
present. The attention of the Clerks
AssOcia lion had been called to the
opening after 6 o'clock Of the store
operated by the Schwabacher Co,
and with the desire to ascertain If
it would be possible for this company
ID close at 6 O'Clock as all the
others of any importance were d0lna,
a committee Of three was appointed
by the clerks to wait upon the mar
ager, MI. Eastman. and learn what
could be done along the line men
toned. The committee was informed
in a very emphatic manner that the
Schwabacher store would remain open
| until 8 o'clock regardless OF the hard
ship it may work upon other people.
A special meeting was called last
night By the clerks and the report
| Of the committee was received.
| Hoping that a committee represent
| ing the labOring people OF the city
| might be able to adjust the difficulty,
! satisfactory to both parties, the clerks
| appealed 10 the Central Labor council
| and asked that a committee be ap-
! pointed to confer with the manage
menJ u the store in question: Thu
| committee was appointed as request
| ed.
1t is too early for comment on
| r b1t n =
| reason the Clerks Protective AssOcia-
ton al its birth asked for a shorten
| ing Of their hours was the fact that
| ,he average clerk worked during the
summer months excessively long
hours and that the employers them
selves objected to the system which
seemed to make such a course cCmpui-
s0Ty. With the idea Of amicably ad
justing these conditions. the retail
clerks with the advice and consent of
their employers formed the Retail
Clerks Protective Association with
the understanding among themselves
hat they would protect each other
and their employers from the system
above mentioned. The argument that
one store out of the hundred in the
city MUST keep open after 6 o'clock
in the evening to accommodate the
country trade seems just a trifle over
drawn in the light OF the fact that
but a season ago the party account
able for the above assertion stated:
We DO not do enough business after
E p. m. to pay for the lights. 1t
was the plea then that the other
stores being open after + p. N. that
the store in question must remain open
also. The coalitions have changed
now and all the business men Win
this exception of Schwabacher Co.,
are willing to close at the hour of six
The clerks at no time sought to
antagOniZe any merchant. Such is
no and was not at any time their IN
teatiOn. Their employers always met
hem more than hall way and the
clerks reciprOCated and appreciated
this spirit. The clerks Of the Schwa-
bacher firm were asked to join. but
to quote the words Of the clerks them
selves, they answered; Boys. We
would like to go in with you, but the
first one Of us that does won't have
any more job than a jack-rabbit."
We deeply regre, the controversy
but regrets. now, seem useless
Ffguratively speaking, the Clerks
Association has at no time gone about
with a chip on its shoulder. 1t has
not at any time sought trouble. At
the present time as in the past it is
doing its best. working every effort !
to adjust the controversy in a peace |
full and honorable way. Anything to |
the contrary must be considered as
not emanating from the Association |
But the SchWabacher company has |
for reasons Of lis own. decided TO force
the Association TO disband or compel |
its members, male or female, TO work |
unit! o'clock whether they |
care to or not. 1t IS true that the |
SchWabacher Co. does not employ any
female clerks at the present time, but |
the result, aimed at is practically the |
same for there are a large number of |
women clerks in the city who would |
be affected by an O'Clock closing
hour.
In the light of this fact it is to be
hoped that the committee of concilia-
ton appointed by the Trades council !
may meet with better success than
that OF the clerks. AS the interest
Of every Clerk in the city, male or fe-
male, hinges upon the words of Mr..
Eastman we would ask Of him to
kindly look at the matter in a broader
and more humanitarian light. for the
happiness of many depends upon his