The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1947-09-25
NATIONAL EDITORIAL
NAT * ASSOCIATION
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Saturday Night

The argument over Saturday night closing in
Hardin has walked and waned, and fewer opinions are
now being expressed on the matter. We think it IS al
most time to write fms to the debate. but, being us,
we have a few words to say about it first.
The only interested group which have not express
sed an opinion in writing are the merchants. Plenty of
them talked to us about it. but none seem to find time
to sit down and formally address the editor.
We would like to present their side of the picture.
The position of the owner or manager OF a business IS
not unlike that of the farmer. who actually operates
his own business too. The merchant does not work an
eight hour day. He waits on customers. fills out in
Vulnerable government reports. orders stock, unpackS
it and places it on the shelves, marks it and usually
keeps books as well. In some business places. clerks
assist in placing and marking stock, in others they do
not. At any rate. the merchant who works all eight
hour day only is a rare bird indeed. Frequently he
comes to work before his employees do in the morning
and even more frequently he stays after they go home
at night or comes back after a hurried dinner to
wrestle with figures and reports.
From what we have seen of local business men,
they do their best to be fair with their workers. Theirs
is no easy job.
Almost all of them are more than glad to do any
thing possible to accommodate farmers. We know many
who have rolled out of bed before 6 in the morning or
after IL at night to get something badly needed by a
farmer or rancher. They appreciate the trade of the
ranchers and feel no resentment about doing this sort
of thing for them.
Many of them would enjoy having a Saturday
night off occasionally, if not all the time. The boss al
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fact. No eight-hour day for him. Sunday is the only
morning he can sleep late. But by the time Saturday
is over, however,, he doesn't feel much like playing
cards or any other form of recreation. Sometimes he
wishes there were time for a little more fun.
However he realizes-as we do too-that during
the summer months the hours of the farmer and
ranchers are as long or longer, SO he doesn't do too
much complaining about it.
We've heard all sides of the story-or at least we
think we have. So we have a solution to offer. 1t is a
compromise, and compromises are never popular, and
we are prepared to be told that it isn't a good idea, but
here it is for what it is worth:
Since the winter months are less difficult for the
farmer (unless he is feeding a large number of live
stock and since, as a general rule he has more free
time then, why not close the store at 6 on Saturday
night during the winter, but keep them open on Satur-
day night in the summer! This would give everybody
a break part of the time.
We fully expect some ~protests-but get them in
fast. We will allow just two more weeks for all the
people who disagree with us to tell us so-and after
that we'll close the books on this particular controversy.
- TRY A WANT A AND SELL THAT SURPLUS FURNITURE -