HOURS OF CLERICAL LABOUR.

Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 101, 1 May 1890, Page 4

HOURS OF CLERICAL LABOUR.

♦ TO THE EDITOR. Sir— l waa very ploasod to read in your columns this evening that a friend of the mercantile and Bank clerkts bad to day uoen bofore the Sweating Commissioners with reforonoe to the hoars of labour of the abovo ; and I can with pleasure bear out every statement made by Mr. with rogard to the hours the merchants' clerks bavo to work. You no doubt, sir, will (if you havo walked round this town of an evening) have noticed the windows of nearly all the merohants* offices lit up. Thia means that the clerks are at work within — and for what reason ? I have myself come to the conclusion that it is on account of the offices being undermanned, and yofc when the employers know that their clerks are working from 9 in the morning to nearly G at night, then from half-past 7 till 11 anl later, they must know that this is on account of there not being sufficient clorks to do tho •work, or that those who have to do it do not giro all their attention during the recognised hours; but from my lengthy osperieune lean assure you, sir, that in whatevor office yon would care to select for a visit dnrincr tbe day you would find every clerk at his work with the greatest energy. I quite agree with Mr. , when he says that the clerks do not feel feel free to give evidence on this subject before the Sweating Commission for fear of

receiving a monthV notico ; and furthor, I think it is high tim" that tho liouih of work for dorks was conbidered. I feel vory , strongly on this noint, on account of the jnnior clerks w/io havo to work till eleven o'nlofk and later, at Heavy and long calculafons; then they ar. exp< fjtt'd to be fit, to go on at tho Biimo work at nine o'clock tho next morning, not having perhaps got home beloro midnight. There a*e certain times when, in a mercantile office, it is necessary for the clerks to work at night, such as stocktaking, and perhaps tho la«t two or thrcfi days in a month, but not as 1 havo known it to be for five nights each week for Foveral weeks running; and all this work is doneby youths who are receiving salaries ranging from JGIOO to ill so per annum I Bhould like to know if this is, to any right-minded man, conducive to tho health of our young men, who, under tho existing hours, get little or no timo for physical oxeroise. I hopo, sir, you will givo this subjsct full justice through your columnß, and apologising for trenpac.sing so longthily upon your limited space, and hoping that some moro able pen. will take up this important subject, I am, &c, Mekcuant'b Clerk. 25th April.