Year: 1871

Clerk-Of course they could; they do
at present. The hours are certainly un-
necessarily long, but time will remedy
that


Reporter-What are the hours?


Clerk-Generally from seven to half
past in summer, and half-past seven TO
eight in winter, to seven and eight at
night Then out of that you are allowed
half an hour for dinner, and about once
a month, in your turn, you are obliged
to come at six o'clock in the morning.


Reporter-W What do they come on those
days so early for2


Clerk-They must take their turn to
dust off and arrange the shelves and
goods.


Reporter-And the


CASH BOYS;
at what time are they expected?


Clerk Always an hour and half be
fore the men


Reporter-H How much do they get?


Cferk-Two dollars a week.


Reporter-Of course these little boys
are not subject TO be fued


Clerk-Yes, but they are, though.
have known the poor little chaps, after
two weeks work (and. mind you, they
are never allowed to sit down during the
day. going home with dollar and halt
and two dollars instead of four--the rest
eaten up by fines.


Reporter Would you just give me a
few of the offenses for which they fine


Clerk-Being FIVE minutes late in the
morning or in returning from dinner
omitting 20 enter .ale in your book
taking a wrong address or being away
from your post (at which you are obliged
to stand erect at distance OF nine IN
ches from the counter) longer than hve
minutes Each one of these costs TWEEN
ty FIVE cents. and in busy day even q
careful man might commit the whole OF
them.


Reporter What becomes of these
fines


Clerk-At Arnold & Constsble's, and
l think. Lake & McCreery's. they are
formed into fund for the benefit ofthe
sick; but all the others pocket them.


Reporter They must amount to good
sum at the end of the year?


Clerk should think they do. Why
at Stewards they are


SOMETHING ENORMOUS.


Reportef-Don't you think that where
there is so large body of men they
could have tbiags much better if they
combined, like other trades2


Clerk-No doubt they cosld, but
there is no union among them. You see,
they are composed of such distinctly op
posite elements that concerted action is
impossible


Reporter-What do you mean by
''opposite elements p


Clerk -Nationalities. The dry goods
clerks of this city are composed of Ger.
mans, Scotch, English, Welsh aud Irish
with about one per cent Of Americans.


Reporter-There are a good many
women employed in these large stores
are there not7


Clerk-Yes; few statesmen in most ol
them, aud a great number of work girls
You would scarcely believe it, but l as
sure you L saw it myself, in one of those
palace stores there used to bel don
know if it still exists--a notice pasted
on the elevator, written by the proprietor
himself. forbidding those poor creatures
TO ride up in the elevator. aud eompell-
ing them to go up and down six stories
on foot four times day.


Reporter-In the matter of sickness
what is the rule


Clerk-The salary is stopped for all
time you are away from the store wheth
er your absence is caused by illness or
not. If you are not there you will not
be paid.


Reporter-You said something about
dull season; to what did you refer?


Clerk-At the end of each season
that is, as soon as


THE DULL TIME
comes-on the 1st of January and 4th of
July--a large number of meu are dis
charged from all the houses and remain
out Of employment some two or three



Reporter-This must cause great dis
tress among them


Clerk -Frightful. sir; frightfull They
are mostly an improvident. hard drinking
lot. and the lew who are able to put a
little aside from the miserable pittance
they get soon have it eaten up by their
families


Reporter-Surely when the men know
the dull time is coming on they ought to
be prepared ?


Clerk Well. you see each obe thinks
himself the best.man. and is sure he will
be the one TO be kept; besides. il costs a
good deal to keep well dressed, for if
they get shabby their chances of going
are redoubled


Reporter-But in the summer they
give The men u holiday?


Clerk Some of them do; but others
torce them to take one, aud make them
pay for it


Reporter-They oblige them to absent
he mselves2


Clerk-Oue of the drivers, or ushers,
Or shop walkers, a. they are called, goe~
around to the men with list in which is
set down the time each man must take.
and the poor fellows are oblged to com
ply without murmur.


Reporter-Surely there must be some
means TO fa


REMEDY ALL THIsf


Clerk-If these men only knew their
own power it would not last long. There
ire at least in New York and the sur
rounding cities some five or six thousand
men employed in this business, and not
one quarter per cent. of them are voters.


Reporter--Here, then, is huge
.hance for Tammany-loads of exiles
rom every land


Thanking the clerk for his kindness,
ind hoping, should any further informa
ion on the subject be required, he would
be in the same amiabie disposition, the
-eporter took his leave.


TIE temperance cause appears to be
ginning ground rapidly in Kentucky
Mr. G. W Balm, the State Lecturer OF