TO THE EDITOR.

Evening Star, Issue 12766, 20 March 1906, Page 6

TO THE EDITOR.

Shr, —“ Clerk ” has made a very weak attempt to justify tie hours that clerks have to work in this CSty. At one time. where the late .. n \fr Sargent was first employed, there was scarcely an evening but the decks had to go back to work from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The accountant was a hard taskmaster, starting himself at 6 a.m., and it is stated' that ail those who were late after 9 a-m. were fined 6d for every quarter, of an hour up to ton o’clock. The accountant, who had a great experience in Victoria, recognised that the late Mr Sargent then was one of the smartest boys he ban seen. Every year a large number of hoys leave school, and with a first-dass education, they naturally look for work in an office, and are willing to accept a nominal salary for a start, so as to get an insight into commercial fife. Many of them have to serve years before they reach a salary of 30s a week, which practically means that they are starved out of their .position to make room for another brew. Unionism bas worked well with mechanics and the laboring classes, but I orb, afraid it won’t wort -with the knights of the qnilL—l am; etc., Acacia. March 20