New Britain herald., 1915-04-02
NOAlEi Hh1 HlvDNLnJ !. EXPLAINS SCHEDULE
Retail Stores of City to Keep Open Tomorrow, Good Friday.


 retail stores of New Britain are con- tained in a letter sent out today by SecretaryfA. Fl. Andrews to the mem bars of the Mercantile bureau. The letter answers many of the questions that have been raised concerning the adoption of the new schedule. Part . of the letter follows:
 " The purpose of this movement is apparent to every live merchant, for conditions have abeen sucn in the past. that neither the propr1etors of the stores,. nor the trading public, knew when. the various lines of busi- ness were supposed to be open.
 Before each, holiday, It has been the practice for the merchants to call one another in an attempt to learn what others intended to 60, with the invariable result, that the hours of opening and closing were never uni form, and the public never knew what to expect. .
 The results of the Investigation of your committee show that this chaotic condition applied particularly to New Britain. and that. practically every other city in New England has a much more uniform arrangement than New Britain.
 Adoption of this new schedule will result in the elimination of all con- fusion and place the whole com imunity ina position of knowing for the entire year just when the stores will be open, and when the trading can and, cannot be done.
 It has been impossible to prepare a schedule satisfactory in every detail to every individual for, as always, ideas differ. but it has been the pur- pose to produce a plan which in each detail has the support of the majority Of the merchants,
 This has been done anG the assur- ances of those who disagreed with some4> of the details that, notwith- standing, they would support the plan as agreed to by the majority, is most gratifying and places, the: success of the plan beyond the possibility of a doubt. +tg
 Methods of trading like most other acts of. human beings, are those of habit and it is certain that as soon as the public becomes familiar with the plan, confusion and inconvenience. will be reduced to minimum and all will be well satisfied. .-2 ; It now only remains for those mer-
 
 ard are. depending upon it's prosperity ,si1d the growth of it's retail business to give this plan their support and fair trial:s < : .,as ; It is desired to emphasize the; fact that the stores should close to new eusfemers ins5asll a,cases promptlyI at the time -sstaten in the sched uleg Also that all. .custon4efs entering the store before tlfis; time should be5served, even though it requires the attention of the clerks beyond closing hours.
 It is within the power of the retail merchants of New Britain 70, greatly increase local trading, but it can only be. done by. all working together along the line of cooperation or team work
 New Britain, merchants have been quoted many times as working less in llarmony than those in any other city of the size. If this has been so in the past, now is the time to change and adopt the other plan of co-opera- tion, which without, fail, always pro- duces more profit.
 It should be understood that it is not the purpose of the Chamber of Commerce to force merchants to do anything against their will, or attempt tC run their businesses TOT them. It is, however, organized for the express purpose of assisting all those engaged in business to more profitable and sat- isfactory results.
 Attention is called to the facts covered by the ruling of the attorney general in regard to exemption from the fifty eight hour law of minors and women employed in mercantile estab- lshments between the dates of Decem- Der IT and 25. Exemptions are only allowed when seven. full holidays with pay have been allowed during the year. That this applies only to the regular and generally observed holi- days, and such other days as are marked by a general cessation. from work on the part of employees of an establishment. Keeping open the es- tablishment and allowing the help affected by, the fifty eight hour law to have a holiday, is not sufficient The keeping open of mercantile establish nlents for any length of time what ever, on any holiday would remove that day from being accepted as one of the seven
 Owing to conditions and the opinions of 8 large majority of the merchants, it was felt desirable to keep the stores open on Good Friday and the committee has. therefore, in cluded :n the schedule of holidays, Co!Gmbus Day, October 12, thereby making the seven called for by law.
 While this schedule does not go into effect until April 5th, because of the fact that it was held up waiting the ruling of the attorney general it was the recommendation of the committee that all stores keep open Good Friday.