The Daily Telegraph. MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 1890.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5906, 11 August 1890, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 1890.

It is years and years ago since pathetic letters appeared in tho London papers, and realistic novels wore written, sotting forth tho sorrows and hardships of girls and young men serving behind shop-counters. Till theso recitals wero published tho fashionable idler littlo know the cruelty she

was inflicting when che went shopping with no intention of buying. Till then tho early closing movement was not thought of. Pretty faced neatly dressed girls, and spruce young men faultlessly attired, served behind tho counter for thirteen hours a day and more, and however weary they were, or however hungry, or however swollen their feet from long standing, thoy were not allowed more thim a few minutes, twice in the day, to take refreshment; thoy were not allowed to sit down, oven when there was no customer to serve ; and they were compelled to wear a smiling countenance and to use a persuasivo and a civil tongue. So forcibly impressed were very many ladies of England with tho story of the hardships these young people had to endure that an attempt was mado to form an association which should havo for its object tho boycotting of such shops

in which the counter assistants aro not allowed to sit down when not at work, and which did not closo at 6 o'clock in the evening. That was the beginning of tho early closing movement in London. In theso colonies thu rule is to close at six except on Saturdays when tho shutters are not put up till 9 p.m. Putting up the shutters, however, in most largo establishments does not mean for tho employes the cessation of work. The goods displayed on tho counters have to be put awiiy, and, perhaps, thero is

the best part of tm hour to bo spent in getting things straight after the shop is shut up. It must bo allowed that from half-past eight in tho morning till closo upon ton at night every Saturday night is a pretty good tax upon tho powers of endurance of young people who have been on their feet for most of tho timo. But whoso fault is it ? It cannot bo said to be

tho fault of tho employers. If tradespeople had their own choice of tho hours of labor, does it not stand to roason that they would prefer to do tho business of the day in thu shortest possible, period ? There is no difference in human nature between the employer and tho employed ; and while we may be sure that the latter would gladly accept their present wages with shorter hours of work, so would tho employer be glad to savo his gas bill, and overtime payments, if his average turn-over could be accomplished in le,<»s than eight hours. The fault lies with the public, who will keep up a bad custom of buying at night instead of in day time. The custom has been imported from England. Tho shops in Napier for instanco, never ivoro kept open at night till tho immigration policy of 1871 flooded tho couutry with people bringing with them j

Old World notions. Many of theso immigrants had boen accustomed to receiving their wages on Saturday, and, after tea, they would go out shopping. It is only a habit, and a bad habit too, but in England, perhaps amongst certain classes, if the good wife did not conform to it, sho would find that

her husband would got the money back and spend it in drink. But it is not so here, or, if iv somo cases it is so, it need not be. Thero would be no occasion for this cry of eight hours being a day's work as respects shops if the public would only bo a little more considerate. It does seem uu extraordinary thing for the very people who arc crying aloud for an •' Eight Hours Act" to be seen in hundreds every Saturday night doing thoir marketing utterly regardless of the feelings of the who aro thereby kept at work for hours after they should have finished their week's laboi.