New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1915-03-11

Next we took the miscellaneous
stores. Here we found the same good
feeling and they were agreed on uni
form hours. Would say in summing
up the result of these conferences
that we found tendency toward
shorter hours, although not radical,
and there seemed to be general i'm
preston that this could be brought
about in such a manner that 1t would
be a benefit to the trading public of
New Britain as well as to the mer-
chants.
Schedules Elsewhere.
Your committee has studied the
conditions in uniform hours in our
other Connecticut cities and we find
that the hours that we are going to
suggest to you have been adopted and
are In force in your principal Con-
necticut cities, such as New Haven,
Hartford Meriden and Waterbury and
cities In Massachusetts, such as Spring
field, Worcester. and other cities OF
that size. / would say right here that
New Britain is the only city in the
state of Connecticut that is keeping
open nights outside of the two open
nights until $50 o'clock. All gener-
al stores In these other cities in the
lines Of business that we have already
mentioned are closing at 6 o'clock and
are well satisfied with conditions.
Regarding our conditions locally
would say that we have observed this:
that the factory hours are not on the
increase and the Saturday half-holi-
day has become almost universal thus
enabling the trading public of New
Britain and vicinity to trade in day
light, also giving them ample time to
make their purchases.
1--WE also note that north Of the
track there are stores that are keep
ing open every evening, but your COM
mittee in giving this careful study has
watched these stores and found that
there is very little trading done in
these stores evenings when other
stores are closed.
I'VE also found conditions on Hart
ford avenue whereby there arc stores
that are open practically twenty-four
hours in a day and also Sundays.
These conditions exist practically
where the men, his wife and child
rem. employing no statesmen, are run
ming the store and living in the back
part of their place Of business thus
anybody wishing to do business with
them will always find them there and
their door open.
Monday Night Closing.
Another condition we would like
to bring before you is that we found
almost half. If not one-half. of the
c1, " ~ oil iY1o to
keeping open Monday nights, thereby
opening their stores on Saturday
evening only. Would say that your
committee does ont advise this, as
we think that possibly at the present
time 1t would be too radical a change.
However, this matter is for YOU gen.
tlemen to decide.
"In closing, your committee wishes
to mention the fact that We are
pleased to note the fine feelings that
have been expressed by the different
pople we have come in contact with.
their willingness to cooperate, give
or take. or to do anything that will
bring about hours whereby the peo-
pie of New Britain and vicinity will
know when the stores are open or
closed and they also feel that it will
we'll. We also feel that New Brit
ain, which is one Of our fastest
growing Connecticut cities, should
have hours that are as progressive as
other Connecticut cities, which have
already adopted hours that we are
now going to propose to you
Uniform Opening Hours.
The stores will maintain uniform
opening hours as we'll when the new
schedule goes into effect. The dry
goods, millinery. fancy goods. and
cloak and suit stores have agreed upon
$50 as the hour for opening. The
clothing. shoe, furniture, jewelry and
miscellaneous stores will open their
doors at 8 o'clock. The hardware.
provision, rubber goods, and drug
stores will open at Z o'clock in the
morning every week day and on sun
days the drug stores will open at s
o'clock.
A change in the bylaws was made
at last nights meeting changing the
regular monthly meetings from a fixed
date and making them subject to the
discretion of the directors. This was
done In order to hold meetings when
ever circumstances warranted and not
making meetings necessary at fixed
dates il there should be no business
to transact.
The retail store clerks were TODAY
greatly pleased at the action OF the
bureau, particularly the decision tn
close at o5clock instead Of $50.
Chamber Notes.
The monthly meeting Of the Civic
bureau directors will be held tomorrow
evening.
A meeting Of the membership com