Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-14
SHORTER HOURS
DUE TO LET'S
PROPRIETOR OF BROADWAY
ORIGINATES PLAN
NO OUTSIDE INFLUENCE USED
TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE
After system Was Put in Use other
Department Concerns Followed
Suit Until 1t Is Now
General

H S. Carroll, advertising manager of
! the Broadway department store, made
public statement yesterday in which
! he pointed out that the early closing
custom, which has been adopted by
| several local stores, was originated by
/ Arthur Let's. The statement follows
"To the Editor of The Herald:
| 1T was with great surprise indeed
! that | read an article in an evening
newspaper concerning the work of the
Consumers league of the Civic assocta-
ton under the direction of Mrs. Oliver
G. Bryant and Miss Ellie Mcsgrove, in
which il appeared credit for the de-
partment store new 1910 business hours
(oponing at $3.50 and closing at $500
was due to the work of that association.
with all due respect to the Consum-
ers league and Mrs Oliver c. Bryant,
president of that association, ! would
like to have it clearly understood by
the readers of your paper that in con
ncction with the $3.50 and 80 closing
hours of the stores of Los Angeles, so
far as the Broadway Is concerned. the
entire credit of this movement may be
put down to Arthur Let's, proprietor
of the Broadway department store.
mo influence has ever been brought
to bear on him by any members Of any
or any other city to bring about the
shortening of the hours. AS for the
cutting of wages, no such thing was
ever thought of by this store. As
matter of fact employees are paid ac-
cording to their earning capacity. Your
paper recently stated it would cost this
store $50, 900 per annum-this shortening
of the hours. The fact is, it means
more than double this amount.
or 1lXV1Ne hppn the Mo-
neer in movements for the betterment
of employees. Neither did any other
merchant in this city consult with Mr..
Let's or know that the Broadway in
tended announcing new business hours.
Tuesday, December %, Arthur Let's
at a banquet given his delivery depart
ment gave the announcement concern
ing the new business hours, beginning
the following Monday. This announce
ment came like a thunderbolt from "a
clear sky, and the writer knows per-
sonally was not anticipated or even
thought of by any branch of the
sctores management.
"The cutting off of full hour of the
employees day was a philanthropic New
Years gift from Mr. Let's. His was
the master mind that conceived the
idea, and if there is credit to be given
give it to whom credit is due.
lAcAAACNANN'
ment of the Broadway department.
store l am very much incensed to
think that the Consumers league or
any other league should attempt to take
the credit of this so-called reform when
the movement emanated from Arthur
Let's.
'It seems to me it would have been
much better for the heads of the Con-
sumers league and the Civic assocla-
ton to be offering Arthur Let's ana
other merchants a vote of thanks for
what they have done toward the less
ening of the hours for the employees,
and thereby perhaps losing thousands
of dollars in point of sales, than for
them to he taking the credit for some
thing that was not their due.
"I take this means of addressing you
that the matter may be clearly under
stood by your readers. Previous to this
no other store had made any announce
ment concerning early closing. Since
then the movement has become almost
general.
'I trust you will see fit to give this
information space in your columns.
VERY truly yours, (Signed)
III. s. CARROLL,
advertising Manager Broadway De-
partment Store