Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-30
FOR SHORTER HOURS
GOVERNMENT CLERKS WORRIED
OVER NEW CONDITIONS.
Complete Revolution in Arrangements
That Have Been in Vogue for
Years May Follow.

Beginning with next Tuesday most of the
department stores and downtown business
houses Of this city will close at 8 o'clock,
as Is customary in the summer months.
This announcement has caused stir
among clerks in the government depart
ments. whose working hours were lately
made to extend to 4:3O o'clock in the after
noon instead Of only until 4 o'clock. 1t ap-
pears that there will have to be either a
complete revolution in the time-honored
plans OF the business men of the city, or
that government clerks will have to do
their shopping in about ten or fifteen min
utes before or after Office hours.
In view Of this condition of affairs the
business men Of the city have almost with
one accord expressed themselves as in IA
vor OF urging the heads Of the government
departments to go back to the old rule and
close at o'clock at least during the
months Of July. August and September.
At present. when the stores close at 6
o'clock. only an hour and a half may be de-
voted to shopping by the government clerk,
after hours, and the man who lives out Of
town has much less time than that. When
the stores close at 8 o'clock the suburban
lite, as he himself expresses It, will have
to stop buying things
Should the stores keep open longer to ac-
commodate customers 1t would mean that
hundreds OF tired statesmen and women,
who stand behind counters from 8 o'clock
in the morning. would have their working
hours dragged out unfairly. Even as 1t Is.
this is the case; for 1t is a rule OF all stores
that all persons who enter before the clos
ing time shall be waited on as long as they
wish. Many government clerks, leaving
their desks on a run at lao o'clock to make
a necessary purchase, just slip In before
the doors are closed. and they need to
buy. they stay and do SO, while the tired
salespeople stay overtime to show them
goods
Views Of Business Men.
While no action has been taken yet by
the Business Mems Association in regard
to the matter of urging change In the
department hours, many prominent bust
ness men of the city have, as stated, spoken
emphatically on the subject In an inter-
view with a Star reporter this morning,
Mr.. Isaac Cans, manager OF Saks Il Co. s
stores, said there would be a solution or
the whole knotty problem II the govern
ment would go back to the o'clock order.
TT would be a great benefit to the clerks
in the government service, he said. and
would be an Incompatible convenience to
the business men of Washington
Mr. Louis Kann Of 8. Kann. Sons Co..
said, "It would certainly be a benefit to the
business man and the government clerk.
l earnestly advocate the change"
The overworking OF the statesmen, to
whom the proprietors want to give longer
evening IN the MOI SuIIlLlci HolithS' was sbo
phase of the question that particularly ap-
pealed to Mr.. w. H. Moses. member Of
the firm of w. B. Moses & Sons.
This is a serious question with u.s.. he
said 1--WE feel as II the salesman ought
to get away from work at o'clock In the
summer evenings, and yet there are thou
sands of government clerks that will not
be able to begin their shopping until nearly
that time
Others who have signifled their intense
interest in the question and who favor the
old hours are Mr.. Lothrop Of Woodward q
Lothrop MI Bridget of Parker, Bridget &
Co. and many more merchants of the city.
The Saturday Hours
Some interest is being felt by both gov
eminent clerks and business men as to
whether the departments will carry out
promise made in the order which closed the
departments at 4:3O O'Clock. 1t was stated
that Saturdays should be exceptions to the
rule in the months of July, August and
September and the clerks should be allowed
to go home at p. m. on these days. Thefe
is a restricting clause, however. that is
causing apprehension on the part OF clerks
and others This Is the unless otherwise
ordered" clause Whether it will be or
dered that offices shall be closed at l
o'clock beginning with this Saturday. or
whether 1t will be otherwise ordered Is
a question yet to be determined.
In the meanwhile government clerks ana
business men are wondering whether the
departments will see the advisability OF
closing earlier. and hoping that tney Will.