Putnam patriot., 1919-09-26
HALF HOLIDAY FOR
 WEBSTER CLERKS
Merchants Sign Petition to Close Stores Every We'd
 nesday Afternoon
Even Drug Stores Are to Close In
 Neighborins Town

chants committee of the Putnam Chamber of Commerce, based on a petition circulated among the. mer- chants of Putnam, to grant the peti- ton of the clerks for a yearly half holiday Thursday afternoons, the sn- nouncement that Webster merchants have decided to close Wednesday af- ternoons all the year round has been received here with interest and dis eussed considerably.
 The attitude of the merchants of Putnam was gained through the cir culation of petitions and it was found that the majority were opposed to closing their stores an afternoon a week In Webster the same method of getting an expression of opinion on the matter was adopted and the re- suit was almost unanimous for clos ing. In this city it has not been given out how the vote stood, except to say that the majority were opposed.
 The following is from the Webster "Times" of Tuesday:
 Wednesday afternoon the year around is the slogan of the Webster clerks, and the wonderful response to the petition that has been circu- lated among the merchants of the town practically assures this half holiday for all the stores in Webster and Dudley. Not only the stores, but the banks and some of the stores that never before closed on Wednesday afternoons are included in the list. Those in charge of the petition state that only one store is standing out, and they do not feel that this IS an obstacle, as a practical agreement has been secured that this store will close if all the others do. So the agreement, they feel, is practically unanimous throughout the two towns. The move was started by some of the clerks and the merchants of the town who have long favored the movement to make the Wednesday afternoon holiday the year around. The success that has attended their efforts showed that most of the mer- chants also favored the plan, and in only one or two instances was any op- position encountered. This has been practically smoothed over by the fact that all others have entered into the agreement, and those who were op- posed are expected to come in with the rest.
 The regular summer half holidays end Sept. 30, and it is now assured that they will continue right along without a stop, and Wednesday af- ternoon in the future will mean no business in Webster. Not only the grocery stores, markets, dry goods stores will close, but drug stores and even fruit stores are expected to fall in line. ae
 Some of the owners of the drug stores have not yet been seen, but the promoters believe that chances are fine for closing all the stores in the town on that day. If the plan goes through, Webster will be lone- some town on Wednesday afternoons during the year, and even the drug stores will have vacation.
 The vacation of the drug stores, however, will not extend the limit, their closing hours being from 1920 to 6 o'clock, reopening again for the night trade.
 It is expected that the entire list of names to the closing will be se- cured before the end of the week, and the clerks and merchants who are backing the movement, are con fident that they will succeed.
 In Putnam and Southbridge, simi- lar movements are on foot, and in- auiries are being made of the Web ster merchants and clerks as to what is being done in Webster. The situa- tion in town is such that there is every likelihood that the Wednesday afternoon closing will be an assured fact Oct. 1.