Evening journal., 1912-06-18
MrRcHANrs ANn HALF.HoLInAY.

IL UNbREDs of Wilmington have been forced
into retirement have died from health-wreck
resulting from close and unremtting application TO
business The number Of employees who have died
from that probably up into the thousands.
Too many forget that the human machine
oulres light sunshine pure air rest and recreation
and that, denied those things. sooner or later II
will collapse suddenly. slowly down and stop
The question naturally presents itself Is It worth
vhile?' We think not The business men and their
employees entitled to break in weeks work
They know H. and the consuming public appreciates
it fully. Yet owing to lack Of concert Of action.
they do not take IT,
There time and not so long ago, when the
stores opened at 5 or o'clock in the morning and
kept open until 10 o'clock on all nights except
Saturday and then they kept open until midnight
In those days. when the early closing movement
started, there was cry that such Innovation
would ruin business Many short-sighted business
joined in that cry. But the early closing move
ment went until It embraced all the principal
i'm community. II discovered that it did not
niure business but made better and that tho lives
of the merchants and their employees much
more worth the living, II anyone were to 90 to
those merchants and seriously propose return
TO those old conditions he would be looked upon with
pity The merchant. like the employe has learned
that short hours do necessarily short busi-
He also has learned appreciate the blessing
of being able to spend his evenings at home with his
family out with his friends. Nothing would in
duce him to return the conditions Of long ago
Now comes the suggestion made by the CONSUME
ers' League of Delaware, of which Miss Margaret
Tiles Shearman is president and other organizations
that the local merchants and their employees take
half-holiday day each week in July and August
They do not say what day it shall be- but think It
should be either Saturday day the middle Of
the week. No doubt there merchants In town
who think that would spell ruin TO them and their
interests, But II would not They like their en-
ployes. would be the better for IT, Il In no sense
new thing In great cities like New York many Of
the largest mercantile establishments close at noon
each Saturday. They have been doing It long time.
Their experience has been that there is no loss OF
trade therefrom In fact if a suggestion that re-
turn be made to the old condition Of working up to
6 o'clock Saturday evenings were advanced. tho
merchants themselves would be among the first to re-
sent 1t and to protest against it, They would refuse
to do II. What we have said above applies with
equal force to both retail and wholesale establish
ments.
10 bring about such desirable condition here. re-
gardess Of the afternoon selected all that is needed
is cooperation by the merchants in behalf Of them
selves and their employees The purchasing public
will adapt itself quickly the new situation Just as
it has adapted itself all other situations that have
resulted in shortening the work-day Of men. women
and girls engaged. in mercantile pursuits
Our merchants work hard They are entitled to a
hslf-holday as fully as their employees II they once
take tney never VIII ABANDON H. so TAR as the
months affected. because they will dis
cover that they and their employees do better work.
and that the half day of relaxation resulted in no
falling of in trade.
With July almost here, it would to be the
part of wisdom for local merchants to join in move
men' for halfholday they, as well as their en-
ployes, may obtain enjoyment out Of life than
they have in previous summers They should take
the advice Of that philosopher who urged his disciples
10 get out of life all there is it, because when dis
solution finally came they would be long time
dead"