Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-02-13
EDGE BILL WOULD
HIT DEPARTMENT
STORE BUSINESS
CONTINUED from First Page,


Straus Company. Mr.. Goldsmith said:
IF this bill provides for q daylight
day OF ten hours. and | so understand
it, the result would be that we would
have TO close our doors Saturday
nights. outside of what effect u a
might have on hi stores themselves
it would be a direct hardship on a
certain class of customers. most OF
whom are working women. 1t is i'm
possible for some of these women to
shop except Saturday nights unless
they take time off during the week.
This would cause them TO lose money
and would be a further hardship.
81 can hardly believe that Senator
Edge had the department stores In
mind when he introduced the bill.
There is no doubt but that there are
certain classes of factories where extra
time is put in according to the needs
Of the business, time which cannot be
fixed or definite, where the women m
ployees would benefit by the proposed
law. But in a Gepartme store. the
extra time is fixed and tttled-Satur-
day night. We are forced to keep open
then, and ii is the only time during the
WCch NilCii Vic OiiS -
work ten hours or over.
"Why, Il is a fact, that with the ex-
ception of Saturday night, the working
day N the department stores of this
city is under seven hours. We could
not do much more than this, could we?
And ! can say truthfully that there has
never been a complaint a. Jng u en-
ployees of the extra tide Saturday
nights.
"'There Is no organized effort in New
ark to cefeat the bill, though there Is
some individual work being done. The
legislative committee of The Board Of
Trade is taking it up, and Secretary
Reilly, OF the board, is in Trenton to-
day fighting 1t before the committee.
We ars back OF his efforts in sympathy.
at least.
Another member of the firm said
Understand, we are not opposing any,
thing that would be of real benefit to
the working women of the State. II
the law provided that all stores hould
close at s O'Clock Saturday nights we
would gladly welcome 1t. AS It now is.
however. the bill is of nj real benefit
TO the women and would hurt US and
our Saturday night customers
Theodore Gerth, of the Goerke Com
paDy. took the same stand.
"Of course" he said, "if the bill
passes we shall obey the law. We
have no other alternative; but I can
not see where 1t is going to do any
good, SO far as department stores are
concerned. II is striking at an evil
In other places where women are EN-
ployed which does not exist In the de-
partment store as ] know it in this
State.
Inclusive OF Saturday night. the
average daily V orking day for the
women of the Newark stores Is under
nine hours. They are allowed to
choose their own summer holidays,
that Is, by taking either =. full day
or two half-days at the end Of the
week, as they may see At. and there
has never been an objection to the
working hours that>I have heard of.
TIES, II would mean that we would
have to close on Saturday nights n
less II were possible to run a double
force. and that could not be done
practically, as the girls would be hard
to get, almost impossible"
Other department store men voiced
similar views and showed a lively in
terest in the progress Of the bill
through committee. 1t is expected
that If the Edge bill seems to meet
with favor. department store interests
and others will attempt to get an
amendment which will prevent dis
elimination against them.