The Topeka state journal., 1916-05-16
Merchants Who Have Violated
Ordinance Are Spotted.
Are Warned by the City AttOr-
ney to DeSiSt.
INDUSTRIAL COUNCIL JOINS
EnclOSes Its Protest With Hay
den's Official Note.
Good Government Club Takes a
Hand in the Fight.

The merchant who will keep his
shop open as long as there is a nickel
in sight, regardless of Sunday or any
other time, is due to get sharp
''pullup" by the Retail Clerks associa-
ton.
Various articles of merchandise
were placed on view at the meeting
of clerks last night; the results OF a
SUNDAY shopping" tour Investigation
conducted by several committees from
the association. The names of the
offending merchants were recorded
and the following letter drafted and
signed by George Hayden. city attor-
ney, was sent to each firm:
Gentlemen: Complaint has been
made to this office by the labor unions
of this city that you sold goods from
your stock last Sunday. This is in
violation of the city ordinance. In
matters of this kind we never act
until we have called the attention of
the party to the fact that he is vio-
latinE the ordinance, but if further
complaints are made we will be
obliged to act"
Note From Industrial Council
Enclosed with each note is the fol-
lowing statement from the Topeka In
dustrial council
To the Merchants of Topeka:
Dear Sir-While organized labor of
Topeka duly appreciates any union
made merchandise the merchant may
offer for sale. we can not consider any
merchant friendly to our cause who
keeps his place of business open after
the hour adopted by the trade in gen.
eral or on Sunday.
This applies to any merchant who
requires his sales force to labor or
keeps his place of business open in
person. as the mere fact of keeping his
front door open has its effect on other
places of business.
The Topeka Industrial council
wishes further to announce that it in
tends to push the enforcement of the
state labor laws and the city ordinance
in regard to the said closing in the
future. 1t is not the intention of the
Industrial council to put any obstacle
in the way of the success of any mer-
chant. but we feel that the shop keep
er who is fair to his clerks and the
rest of his associates is only entitled to
our consideration and should have
that protection in business that is
granted by law. By order of
TOPEKA INDUSTRIAL COUNCIL.
Following up their attack on the
late closing and Sunday-opening mer-
chants the clerks will storm the
trenches of the grocerS There are 164
grocers in the city and the majority
of them keep open Sunday morning.
many of them as late as IL o'clock.
according to the officers of the asso-
citation. The law is very specific on
IL.
Northland, recording secretary of the
association said today. The only
thing which the grocers could sell on
Sunday would be milk and it would
bring him no profit to keep his shop
open for the selling of that article
alone. And if he sells anything be-
sides that he is liable to prosecution
Good Government Club Acts.
FOLLOWING our petitions for a uni
form evening closing hour many
stores have signified their intention of
closing at six o'clock on week days
and we are confident that before lonk
all the stores will agree on a uniform
closing hour.
THE Good Government club is be-
hind our movement for Sunday clos
ing of groceries and has sent the fol-
lowing resolutions to each of the 164
stores in the city:
Be it resolved, that we, the mem
bers of the Good Government club, re-