The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-11-14
EVENING WORKING HOURS ARE
VERY UNPOPULAR WITH MANI
Advertiser Receives Protests From Many SourcesEmpoyers
and Employees Alike Fail to See Merit
In Suggestion

| The suggestion that the stores of
white merchants in Honolulu should
| have their business hours extended
from the present closing time of five
clock until later has not met with
any burst of enthusiasm from either the
storekeepers or the clerks, although no
| more objected to by one class than the
other. The mail carrier and special
| messengers brought numerous letters to
The Advertiser on the subject, some of
which are given below.
G. B. Curtis, writes from the stand
point of an employer. He says:
Editor Advertiser read with much
interest in your paper of even date, the
suggestion of Mr.. Geo. W. Smith to
bring before the merchants assoc alton
the advisability of having stores remain
open late at night. Also the comments
thereon in the leader by your good self.
With your kind permission | would
like to take up this matter from the
other side. So far as Mr.. Smith is
concerned it is well known that he has
the welfare of the merchants at heart
and has done a great deal to advance
the interests of the merchants asso--
citation.
But is there as much business going
to the oriental part of town as Mr.
Smith thinks there is?
p Take the white stores that keep open
and have kept open right along on Sat
urday nights. While probably they are
all doing a much bigger trade than
ever before, I don't believe the trade
on Saturday nights is more than half
what it was four years ago. This is
accounted for by the fact that moving
pictures and other attractions take the
attention of people who used to shop
on Saturday nights. You say, Mr.. Edi-
tor, that "the suggestion to keep open
will meet with general approval" This
I doubt very much. 1t is not practical
to all lines of business to work the
employees on shifts and I don t believe
the merchants Of Honolulu viii require
their employees to work longer hours in
a tropical climate like ours. You say
the stores should remain open during
modern shopping hours There is moth
ing modern about extending the hours
of labor
Twenty years ago in California the
o clock Now they close at five and
no later than six o clock
Long hours as late as ten clock was
the custom elsewhere until legislation
was brought to bear and compulsory
early closing was adopted with the re
suit the merchant did just as much
business and the employee was better
able to perform his duties.
The modern idea is to do as much
business in as little time as possible. |
The employee who has the interest of |
the employer at heart welcomes Just !
as much as the merchant the additional |
trade of the "Boy at Leilehua,' as |
you call him. and feels sure that if |
proper representations were made to the |
gallant officers in charge of the various |
forts that ample time would be allowed /
the men to get their supplies in day
light.
/ feel certain also that most of the |
boys, if they realized that BY trading
with orientals they were causing white /
people to work unnecessary long hours.
they too would do their utmost to make /
their purchases between eight and five
0 clock.
The white merchant has nothing to
fear from the oriental other than the
catch penny after hours. If we can
not compel the oriental to come ND
10 our ideas let US not get down to his.
The only benefit that can arrive bv the
remaining open Of stores at night would
be to the electric company for lights
and TO the medical profession by in
crease Of patients in the shape of sick
" clerks.
We have occasionally to work at
night and we know what it means here
# we compel our employees to do it as
/ regular thing.
Let Us get together and try moral
suasion in this matter. .sDo unto ;
others as you would have them do unto
Prevail upon our landlady not to buy