EARLY CLOSING.

Evening Star, Issue 3432, 20 February 1874, Page 2

EARLY CLOSING.

2b the Editor. Sir, — The readers of the Evening Star have seen by your advertising columns that an Early Closing Society is in existence. I will, with your permission, give them a slight sketch of the means it proposes to adopt with a view to securing its object viz., a half-holiday on Saturdays. It does seem strange that in a flourishing town like Dunedin the drapers’ assistants have to work till so late on Saturday nights—l need hardly say unfltting them for their Sabbath duties. In London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and all large cities, the principal and second* rate establishments fclose at • one' add fout , o’clock on Saturdays, fn Sydney and Melbourne all the large establishments have the half-holiday,’and Within' the WtWSthl the second-rate’ houses’in fcourke street; Melbourne, have join-d in and close at si* instead of eleven o’clock. Not many vearii ago the principal trade in Bcurke street was done on Saturday night, bow was tbii altered? By the Early Closing Society nukmg friends with the public and inducing them not to enter thp establishments after one o clock on that day. They succeeded in impressing the public with the injurious ejects late shopping had pn their fellowcreatures. and the result was the'shops were left empty. They were thfen closed-first at six o clock, and {Jieh for the whole Afternoon. V “ injurious tb the employers? one of the largest, Mr BWkiey, of Buckle] and Nunm stated at a public meeting that although his Saturday trade had boon far larger than on any other day, he had gained through the half holiday by more business

being done on the other days, and by the improved physical ability and activity of his young men aud workers during the week. We are not so foolish as to think that em ploycrs in Dunedin will close their establis ments aslorg as ladies come in to buy, but our mission will be to impress the public through the Press and the pulpit that ever purchase they make after one o’clock on Sa turday is depriving tbe young man or woman who serves them of needful rest and recrea tion—in fact driving a nail in their coffin. Ii may be a small nail, but it is one nevertheless. We are concent to leave ourselves in the hands of the public, who, we believe, will respond to our request; for surely the ladies of Dunedin are as kind as ladies in the other • Colonies. In a short time we hope after they have ceased to mske their purchases late on Saturdays to gain the half holiday. Apologizing for the length of this letter, for which its importance must be its excuse, I am, Ac., A Member op the Early Closing Association. Dunedin, February 20.