Norwich bulletin., 1915-01-16

toned above which need not be sep arately catalogued. Girls are uniform in liking more wages and desiring the Saturday night work only.
 Treatment of Help Good. The two stores employing the most help in Norwicn have respectively forces of 5S and 40 women. none un- der 16. The treatment of the help is good and while the wage scale is not as high as some Of the employees feel it should be, 1t is not as low as in some other establishments. The same hours prevail. The accommodations arc good and the girls stated there 1F0Gs no objection to them sitting any time they liked, provided they did not keeD customers waiting. One of these firms heartily favofs the one night idea and the ether is noted for doing much that is good and could undo1bt- edly be brought to see that thls wou-. be direct and appreciated benefit to wage eaIneTs who are honestly entitled to such concessions. The same c0ndi- tions that operate to make night work harmful and unnecessary in other cities prevail in Norwich and it is un- necessary to Teca apitulate them. It is simply the fear of not "suiting the pe0- ple'' that is offered as an excuse. This is. merely, of course that no one is willing to take the initiative. l. will have to De all at once.
 | m iN0" LOH0OU
 New London, with which Norwich has been in friendly rivalry for many years, and which has a number of manufactories 9rl ploEing both men and women. rad no difficulty about volun- tarilJ' adopting the one night a week schedule tse} eFal years ago, and has done exceedingly well under it. not withstanding the fact that there are scores of small stores which keep open evenings ifI the week. The plerchants s | Who made the agreement to keep open but one evening are exceedingly satfs- fed and nothing would persuade them to return to the old form. There are many stores ill the town, all doing . good business. as they have q large area from which to draw, in addition 10 the somner trade they re- ceiVe from the coiOnists on the east and west banks of the Thames. The stores are well equipped as far as goods go ard although Inan3 of them are situated in old Buildings, the lessees have done their best to over come the defects. This is one reason why some Of the sanitary conditions, although passable, might be greatly improved.
 One millinery store does not open until half past 5 and sometimes closes
 at half past 5 IL gives it's workers good pay and tries to keep them on all through the dull season, which is usually short in this store. The pro prietoT of this store contributed a re- mark on tine long, hour working ques- ton which Is worth repeating. He said that he was willing to make money, but not at the expense of his health and enjoyment, and he believed that when he worked eight hours a day he was doing his share. ITS
 The largest store employs IS women, nine men, and no girls under 16. l. has about one seat for four employees and does not object to their using them when no one IS waiting for at tention. IT is in an old building and when the invcs tigator went there the conditions were very bad sanitarily. Frequent complaint has been made of the inadequate closet acconam odations and their situation, but the firm was very ready and willing to make changes when requested and has a conplete equipment of up-to- date san- itatlon, having made extensive and ex- pensiVe improvements.
 1t gives it's employees two weeks va- cation with pay, giving the latter at the time tine vacation begins. IL opens at 5 and closes at 6, with a working week of o5 hours. On Saturday night it keeps open until 10 o'clock.
 Wages in Stores.
 There are a number Of stores in New London aEgregating about six or eight employees, doing a good business, and paying some Of them as high as $11 and SIP to their women employees, none of them less than &, except in one case