The Detroit times., 1914-11-07
Three Thousand Enthusiastic
Employees Applaud Denuncia-
tion of Men Who Keep Open
Saturday Night
COMMITTEES TO CONFER
WITH LABOR FEDERATION
Cheering Workers Parade Down
town Streets in Appeal To
Public Opinion

Fully 1900 cheering, shouting retail
clerks. including Young girls, white
haired women, men with families,
md youths, gathered in the Light
Guard aImory, Friday night, To iu--
1aer the cause or Saturday night clos
.lg. Three downtown stores Keep
epen. Saturday nights, and II ~
lsared that II they continue 10 do so.
ether stores will forsake the closing
movement. and reopen.
The big mass meeting preceded by
q parade OF about 1000 men. ,,ome,l,
t,irls and boys. from Grand Circus
park, down woodward TO Michigan
ave-. to Washington,olvd,, counter
marching TO Woodward. 10 Larned,
and TO the armory, opened with Wild
er scenes OF enthusiasm than the soid
building ever saw before, even In ;he
palmiest days of the political conven,
tion.
The audience was in mood TO
blow horns. cheer. rattle tin cans, and
give similar demonstrations OF m
thnsiasm. but at the outset OF the
meeting, Judge Murphy sharply re
minded them that cheering wouldn't
do any coed; that what was wanted
was definite action, 10 rouse public
sentiment to that pitch where the
merchants would find that IL was to
their own best interestsfto close their
stores Saturday nights. and keep
them closed all Saturday nights in
the future.
AT the close OF the meeting, which
lasted until 1880 o'clock. resolutions
we're passed practically putting the
clerks on record as fayoring the or
ganizatfon OF a Retail Clerks Indus
trial union, to affiliate with the De-
t-oit Federation OF Labor.
This Is the way IL worked out:
Ransom +. Reeves, au organic sor
the Street Railway Mems union. had
used his place as final speaker on the
program. TO tnrn the mass meeting
into a union labor gathering. He at-
tackled the statement OF the Rev. FIR.
William Dooley. president OF the Un!-
versity OF Detroit, that the clerks, IN
organizing, as was suggested, might
make a social and protective organ
ization. Mr.. Reeves declared that the
only hope for the clerks TO obtain Sat
,,rday night closing, for all time. was
TO affiliate with the labor, unions.
Judge Murphy, as chairman. at the
close OF the meeting. suggested a
,,an for organization of the clerks.
n was proposed to form n commit
toe OF 10 or more, only one for store.
10 discuss organization plans. and
To present them to later mass
meeting.
The motion was carried. Then a
motion was put that the committee
be instructed to confer with tn De-
troit Federation OF Labor. The mo-
tion was seconded, and carried with
out dissenting voice.
Paul Hoffriehter, president OF the
ctropolitan club. composed OF police
men. firemen, and letter carriers. who
are supportin gthc Saturday closing
movement, and under whose auspices
The meeting was held. introduced the
chairman, Judge Alfred ]. Murphy, In
a neat and ferceful speech.
'Unselflshness on the part OF the
liyest an dmost wide awake mer-
chants Of Detroit gaze you your Sat
urday evenings" said Mr.. H>Srichter.
Greed on the part OF those few who
ere still keeping open lon Saturday
nights, is the only explanation can
see for their action. A greater mon
ster than the ancient gods who de-
manded human sacrifices. Is this mod
ern monster, greed, which is still de-
handing human sacrifices"
Judge Murphy. after quieting the
noise makers by cri3ply telling the
audience that they were not engaged
in child's play, but stern, serious bust
ness, declared that the movement for
saturday night closing was a righte-
GUS one. and that II involved the vel
fare OF the employe, the employer, and
the whole consuming public, which
receives better service from clerks
who are not worm out with work.
"And we are in new era In which
~ is true that every man is his broth
er's keeper. Wrong done to the least
of our brothers is wrong to every one
In the community This movement Is
only A part of the great plan OF social
iustice toward which all right-minded
men and women are working" he said
He then declared that In the face OF
q properiy aroused public opinion, nc
retail merchant would dare to open
Ma doors Saturday night, and said
that the clerks must organize and see
that they obtained the public senti
ment. Naming r. c. Clayton's, r. w
Manufacturers and Schmitz
ScSrcsdeTs az the Stores. that were
holding out from the Saturday clos
Ing movement. Judge Murphy declar
ed that the clerks should impress on
the purchasing public that they
should not patronize those stores