The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-12-05
SHOP EARLY!
The Hardships We Should Strive to
Save Others.
Some Precepts For Shoppers.

Now Is the season for Christmas
shopping! Now it is still early;-in
few days the rush will be. on, and
the purchasing of goods for the holi-
days will become source of annoy
ance to the shopper and of hardship
and real suffering to the thousands of
men and women engaged as regular
or special help in hundreds of estab.
lishments serving the purchasing pub.
lie.
Just what the Christmas rush
means to the shop girl, the salesman.
the packer and shipper, the delivery
man and also to the shopper has been
frequently described in glowing terms,
with appeal after appeal for early
shopping. A single experience gath.
cred just year ago by an investi-
gator of the Central Bureau of the
Central Verein, may serve to recall
the argument for such an appeal.
The report on this instance reads:
"Mr. K, on Dec. 18th, 1913, made
purchases at X, one of the largest
Department Stores in St. Louis. He
was advised by the salesman, when
he suggested that he would take his
purchase with him, that if all custom.
ers would do likewise, the working
force would be greatly relieved. AS
matter of fact, the packing depart
ment was then, ten days before Christ.
mas, working until a. m. The sales
man also said that he had been en-
ployed at 700. for 21 years, first in
the packing department, later as sales
man; he declared that while he was
in the packing department, for two
weeks Immediately preceding Christ
mas the men worked each night until
2 or a. M; that they did not go home
but slept on the counters until aroused
by some one in the morning. If they
were permitted to leave at IL o'clock
(midnight), they were told that they
were getting off easy The extra
help did the same kind of work dur
ing the same hours, but was dis
charged on Christmas eve, just the
same"
This instance illustrates only the
manner in which the sales people and
packers are affected by our faulty
shopping ethics. BY observing better
shopping rules, the purchaser can
readily relieve much OF this suffering.
The Consumers League of Germany
has laid down the following rules for
Christmas shopping:
]. Plan your Christmas shopping
early and do not postpone your pur-
chases until the last weeks or the last
days before the feast.
2. Never shop on Sunday-on any
Sunday during the year-for sales
people need recreation as well as you
do.
8. Be courteous to salespeople, and
do not tax their patience in the selec.
ton of goods, etc.
4. Never shop late in the afternoon
or evening; If you do, you jeoDardize
your own chances of obtaining com.
plete satisfaction, and shorten the rec.
reation Of the proprietors of stores
and their employees.
s. Rarely, if ever, exchange goods
if you must do SO, make the exchange
during the dull hours of the day.
6. Garry small parcels with you.
Z. If you contemplate sending gifts
by mail or express, send them off
early, before the holiday rush.
s. Pay cash for everything you pur.
chase, or, if you have an account with
a firm, pay promptly.
8. Pay just prices for your pur.
chases; bargains" are frequently the
result of underpaid work.
BY the observance of such principles
much will be done to alleviate the
Christmas rush, as we'll as much hard
ship throughout the year.