Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-07-01
MERCHANTS To
OBSERVE: Attn
AS A moi. IDAy
Retail Merchants Committee
Not in Favor Of Saturday
Night Closing.

A request will BE made that all re
tail business establishments except
ing drug stores, restaurants and soda
fountains close Friday in Observance
Of Independence Day. This request
Will be made by a SPECIAL committee,
which, representing the retail NOR
chants of the city, met yesterday for
the consideration of that and other
questions affecting the retail bust
ness establishments 1t was doclar-
ed By the committee that this ma
tional holiday holiday is of special
significance this year, due to the
signing Of the treaty OF peace bring
ing to close, successfully, he
year, due to the signing of the
treaty of peace bringing to a close.
successfully, the world war"
The comltee, also considering the
proposition of allowing half holi-
day each week to employees, decided
that because the daylight saving law,
which gives both employees and em-
ployers three or four hours rccrea-
ton after the usual closing hour, the
weekly half-holjday plan would not
obtain until after the repeal of the
ietN. %hilDbiltl iNtSOI SlNtI Nv Tie
committee is that to adopt a half
holiday weekly, ample previous no.
tlce would be given to country resi-
dents and that it is impossible at
this time.
Not to Close on Saturday Night.
The matter Of closing stores at 6
o'clock on Saturday afternoons was
| given consideration by the committee,
with the result that an opinion, set
ting forth the belief that the Satur-
day night closing hour should not be
changed, was rendered. The state
ment of the committee was.
| eve are of the opinion that the
Saturday night business in Pine Bluff
is in many ways unusual and differ
ent from that of many other cities.
i Many of the employers of various in
! dustrial plants do not have an OPP
portunity to do their shopping until
late Saturday afternoon. 1t has be-
come the habit of a great many of
the laboring people to go to a picture
show, and other announcements in
the earlier part of the evening, and
! do tFeir shopping after that recrea-
ton has been taken. Many of the
people from the nearby country dis
tricts pursue the same course, and
therefore in the judgment of the
committee, it has been found mprac-
ticahle to change the Saturday night
closing hour"
Street Cleaning.
The matter of street sweeping in
front of stores and various otheg
establishments was referred to a
s'lb- committee, which will present
tho matter to the city council at an
carly date. The matter of auto
marking will also be presented by
this committee to the council
The date for the summer social
meeting of the retail merchants will
be announced as soon as canvass of
the retail merchants has been made.
1t is probable that the date will be
set near the tenth or twelfth of this
! month
The committee which met yester-
day of: Messrs E. M. Schoberr DIV
goods: Sam Katenzstein, shoes: IT.
G. McGaughev. hardware; Clifton
Drevfus, clothing: Harry Levine.
millinery: J. Fl. Reap, furniture: W.
] c. Mcbride, groceries: r. H. Stearn
JeWelry; A. w. SWeatte, gents fur
nishing. All of this committee were
rresent except Mr.. Sweatte and Mr..
| Stems. A statement for the benefit
of the retail merchants and others
was made by the COMMITTEES:
"Of course. it is understood that
. the action taken hv the committee
/ has been taken after interrogating
many of the merchants of the citv,
but. not all of them, and, that while
tho action is not compulsory or an
attempt to dictate it is, in their opin
ion. an expression of the sentiment
that seems unanimous on the sub
iect."