The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-07-20
PLAN FOR AN ORGANIZATION
Forty of the Retail Merchants of the
City Hold an Interesting Session at
the Y. M. G. A. Building Oh Tues
day Evening.

steps Tor Che IormaJlOn 81 an oI-
ganization which is to include all the
retail merchants of Kenosha were tax
IN at a meeting held at the Audi
forum of the Y M. G. A. on Tuesday
evening when forty business men of
the city representing all lines of the
retail trade met for a discussion of the
new laws of the state in regard to
the employment of women. The meet
ing was called with view of estab
fishing schedule for opening and clos
ing stores which would make it posi-
BILE for the Kenosha merchants to meet
the demands Of the new laws. The
meeting along this line was a failure
as it was found that the interests of
the merchants were SO diversified that
it would be impossible to set any fixed
rule which would be acceptable, to all.
The formation Of a permanent organi
and it was met with so much enthusi-
asm that there is little doubt but that
within a short time the organization
will be perfected. A committee com
posed of Dave Albert, Otto Scholer and
Thomas Sullivan, was named to make
a canvass of the business men of the
city and take up with them the plans
of the new organization and this com
mittee will report at an adjourned
meeting
The meeting on Tuesday evening was
the best ever held by the retail mer2
chants in Kenosha. I'll. e. Barden act
ed as chairman of the meeting and
j. w. E. Rodgers was secretary At
the invitation of the merchants Dis
trict Attorney Henry Hastings appear
ed before the merchants and explained
to them the workings Of the new state
law in regard to the employment of
women and girls and when he conclud-
ed his talk there was no question Of
evading the law left in the minds of
the merchants. AL felt that the men
employing women and girls would have
to meet the law and that it would be
necessary for these men to read lust
their. opening and closing schedules.
An effort was made to solve the prob
lem by having all Of the merchants
agree to close up their places of bust
ness on all nights except Saturday
night, but this met determined opposi-
ton from practically all lines except
the dry goods stores It is probable
that all lines of trade except the dry
goods men will follow the present plan
Of keeping open on Monday and Satur-
day evenings and the dry goods men
Will meet among themselves and seek
to find some way out of their troubles.
The scheme suggested provides for
opening only on Saturday night. This
would make possible compliance with
the new state law providing some
changes were made in the lunch and
dinner hours for the clerks. Candy
stores and similar places where girls
are employed will be forced to arrange
70 another shift of help in order to
comply with the law as it has seemed
absolutely impossible for these stores
to close any night in the week.
The state department of factory in
spection is to begin rigid enforce
menr of the law within the next ten
days and it is certain that schedules
in Kenosha will be revived before the
end of this period.
The main objection that has been
made to closing on all nights in the
week is that such closing deprives
the merchant Of the same right to do
business as the smaller merchant on
the outskirts Of the city has. Most of
these smaller stores are operated by
one man and he works just what hours
he sees fit. This same objection was
raised against the closing on four
nights III the week, but the merchants
have found that they have done just
as much and in most cases more bust
ness than when the stores were kept
opan ovprx nirb4