The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-21
SHOPPING CRUSADE
CHARITIES AND THE COM
MONS TAKES UP QUESTION.
Letters Sent to $500 Heads of women's
Clubs, ESQ Newspapers, and 1902
Stores, Urging Early Buying.

During the past few years the ques'
ton of early shopping. In consideration
of those employed in the department
stores and factories, who at best must
spend long, wearisome, busy hours in
filling the needs of the great and grow
ing throng of Christmas shoppers, has
become national, and in every city
efforts are being made to Undue the
general public with a realization of
what shopping early in the seaso and
in the day, means to those from whom
it makes its purchases.
Thu national publication committee
of Charities and the Commons has
taken up the question, and is ~circulat-
ing literature pertaining to the cause
throughout the United States, SO as to
reach all interested. A portion of the
matter is appended:
AS the holidays come around year after
year there is a growing realization that the
Christmas happiness In one mans home is
the Christmas hardship in many another
home. Christmas shopping is quite gener-
ally left until the last week, often until the
last day, before Christmas. What this
means to the clerks behind the counters,
to the cash girls running back and forth
with heavy parcels. to the drivers and
49, 00Jo Oh II CAtNSlJ e. U.s. " lhO
packers and shippers, express messengers
and behind these to the great army of
women and girls who manufacture Christ
mas toys and candies and knick-knacks in
factory and shop and sweatshop, is little
realized by those who gather round the
glittering Christmas tree.
For several years the Merchants Asso-
citation, Of Cleveland, has conducted a sue
cessful campaign for pushing back holiday
shopping into November and early Deem
Der. Posters in the street cars and on bill
boards, and the widest newspaper publicity
have accomplished much. The benefit is
really on both sides, for the Christmas
shopper has better opportunity and wider
selection In early shopping, while the diff
ference to the clerk is most marked when
it Is realized that the great majority of
those involved In the rush to supply the
Christmas cheer are women and children
In the poorly paid positions.
The members of the charities publication
committee. headed by Robert W. de Forest,
Of New York, and comprising such we'll
known social workers as Miss lane Adams,
Mrs. Raymond Robins and Graham Taylor,
Of Chicago. Robert S. Brewster, William
Guggenheim. William E. Harmon, Jacob A.
Riis, Frank Tucker, Edward T.. Devine and
John M. Glenn, OF New York; Arthur F.
Estabrook, John f. Moore, Robert Treat
Woodward, of Washington, are making an
effort this year to follow the Cleveland
plan on a national basis.
A letter urging early Christmas shopping
Is going out over the signatures of leading
department store men and editors to the
heads OF $500 women's clubs across the
whole country. to the 1907 department.
and to the $50 newspapers in the 257 cities
where these department stores are, urging
early sh~opping-early in the month and
early in the day. The women's clubs Of
ficers are asked to bring the matter
strongly to the attention of all their mem
bers, the newspapers are asked to give the
campaign the widest possible publicity, and
fha dana ont Gfnrac aro ncHad RI annIA-
fish the following card in all their adver-
tisements from now until December 25: