Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1918-01-11
SUPPORTING THE WAR.

Citizens generally, and the work.
ing people especially, will applaud
the decision of certain business men
of the city to close their places or
business at in the evening. rms
early closing has been advocated by
union labor for many moons. Yet.
strange to relate, those who have
fought for the privilege of keeping
open until late at night most fire.
uuently pressed as a stock argument
against early closing that after-sup-
per business was absolutely essen
tial to the convenience of the work
ingman. The worker has been will
ling. even anxious that he be incon-
venienced in this respect, yet the
business man, better informed as to
what was for the real good OF the
toiler. has been even more insistent
that keeping the stores open until 3
or 10 o'clock at night was necessary
to the we'll being and joy of the toll
err. Just another case of talking for
Buncombe.
The Council of Defense has advo-
Gated early closing as war measure,
and so many fall in line, some In
sincere spirit of cooperation, others
urged by the thought that they
might be given the designation OF
Stacker. Let us hope that practice
of this reform will give full proof OF
it's feasibility, in war or in peace
times.
And so we rise to remark that
more thoughtful and careful prepa-
ration of 1.-The following reasons"
set forth in the page ad of the local
merchants would have been In order.
"By curtailing the advertising of
articles usually called luxuries. no
doubt thousands of men in all lines
will lose their positions, but some OF
the best fighters in Europe today are
men who formerly operated or were
employed by retail stores"
Does the above paragraph appeal to
you as being = product wholly with
out guile? Isn't it fact that every
employee of every private business In
stitutfon who is eligible to go to war
has been listed and he will join the
ranks when his turn comes, whether
he is working as usual, or is one Of
thousands of men in all lines" who
are looking for new positions?
Again:
"By limiting the hours of business
we will be able to fill mems places
with women and more men will be
relieved for war service"
If the mere change of hours makes
practical change of the ratio be-
tween women and men employees In
any Of the local institutions we would
be glad to have that particular insti-
tuition pointed out to us. Govern
ment agencies are declaring day after
day that demands for exploitation OF
women are without warrant at this
time, and prompted largely by self
interest. 1t Is not at all probable
that our business men have any great
desire to replace men with women
yet they have unwittingly adopted
into their patriotic manifesto advo
cacy of principle with tho best In
formed people discourage at thi
time, in the knowledge that drafting
into industrial service of large mum
bers of women would be real calam
ity. Why not hew little closer II
the line when evolving rounded
phrases for public consumption?
The public service commission, II
a decision reached Monday night Il
Seattle, denied to the Seattle stree
railway company the privilege of EN-
ploying women as street car con
ductors, after a public hearing.