The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-12-06
SHOP EARLY
POPULAR CRY
National Charities Committee
Urges People to Do Their
Shopping Early.
AVOID CHRISTMAS RUSH
MERCHANTS AND MANUFACTURE
ERs THE COUNTRY OVER HAVE
!. RESPONDED TO URGENT AP
PEAL REGISTERED.

New York, Dec. 15.-When the panic
came year ago. the wise prophets of
trade conditions foresaw a heavy de-
cline in Christmas shopping. 1T must
GOMEZ they declared, for a man out
of a job can't buy presents for his
family Probably there was a falling
of In holiday purchases, but it was
not perceptible to those who delayed
shopping until the last week. There
was the same tired, pushing, bundle
laden crowds, and the same cross,
stupid, worn out clerks.
They say that the building of the
subways in New York has not percep-
tibly lessened the daily jam on the
surface and elevated trains And it
Is reasonably safe guess that such
things as panics or hard times will
not materially reduce the Christmas
holiday rush. There is a way out of
the rush, however; an old way that is
being preached more and more every
year. The few sensible people who
have responded to the shop early"
call of the newspapers, merchants,
manufacturers and philanthropic
workers are pretty sure to continue
to be aerly shoppers If only for pure
~ selfish reasons; for they, as well as
the girls behind the counters, are saw
ing energy and temper.
For two years Charities Publication
Committee OF New York has carried on
an annual campaign with shop early"
as its war cry. Department stores the
country over have heartily co-operated.
Christmas advertisements have urged
customers to come early AMI avoid
the rush." Newspapers in every state
of the union have preached this mod
ern parable Of wise virgins. And al
though a reduction of the late holiday
shopping crowd is not apparent any
more than is the lessenfng of the
crowds in New York since the subway
came, there is, it Is hoped, less crowd
ing every year at Christmas time.
This year some Of the most prom
inent men in business, literature and
philanthropy have Joined In a plea to
department store managers asking
them to help along this movement for
early shopping. Here is the letter
with the signers:
For t he third successive year,
Charities Publication Committee asks
your cooperation in urging early
Christcas shopping as a means of
tightening the heavy budens and long
brings to women and girls and boys
in the retail trade.
''Will You run the enclosed card in
your advertisements every day from
now until December Is or as often as
space permits?
Early Christmas shopping is to the
advantage of the merchant and the
customer as well as the clerk and the
delivery boy. Every year the matter
10 given more public attention. All
that Is needed to make it q pronounced
success is the cooperation of the
merchants and the newspapers in re-
minding people OF it. May we count
containing the "Shop Early card?
Sincerely yours. Jacob A. Riis. Mark
Twain, Richard Watson Glider, Editor
the Century; Edward Box, editor The
Ladies' Home Journal; Leigh Reilly,
editor The Chicago Evening Post; Ad-
olph Ochs, publisher OF the New York
Times; Hart Lyman, editor The New
York Tribune; John Temple Graves,
editor The New York American Ma
than Stratus of the R. H. Macy Co.,
New York; Edward Filene of VIM. FL
lene Sons Co., Observation-Disclosures
lene Sons Co., Boston; Florence Kelly.
of the National Consumers League;
Edward T. Devine, editor of Charities
and the Commons.
Merchants to Respond.
Merchants and manufacturers the
country over have responded to this
call and co-operated. This year, J. S.
Huyler, Of candy fame, has inaugural
ed an advertising campaign asking
Christmas purchasers to DO your
Christmas shopping early in the sea-
son and early in the day, thereby con-
tributing to the Christmas of the
working girl and all who serve you.'
From $50 to IL in the morning
are the best hours for shopping. The
service is quickest ana orders can be
packed during the day, saving much
night work.
ITO take home small packages mean
shorter hours for the saleswomen,
drivers and delivery boys.
Quickest service is rendered by
making your purchases at the store
nearest to point of delivery
Mr.. Huyler is one of the many HUI
name employers looking out for the
welfare of his clerks and the satisfac-
ton of his customers. There are
many others who believe with with
one department store manager who
wrote to Charities Publication Com
mittee last year that the hardships
that are publicly believed to exist are
very much exaggerated. Every spe-
cies of employment has some draw
backs. but this particular drawbs ok
occurs but once year and generally
has some special compensations there
with. so that the store clerks are not
unhappy about it and the delivery men
earn an extra compensation, which is
very gratifying to them"
Just before last Christmas writer
In the Independent who Snent a week