CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3574, 30 July 1890, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

; Early Olosln?. • (To Iho Editor.) Sir.—l have been Bomewhat intersated at your article on the Early Closing Demonstration, especially that portion of it. in which you

attribute the evil which the Association in Masterton has to content

against to late shopping by domestic! servants, and advise us to appeal for relief to the mistresses, In what way to appeal to tie ladies ? Have we not done so. through the press, through handbills, through the clergy, who, I am pleased to say

sympathise with us, and in every other legitimate way ? Don't you think it would be dangerous to intervene between Mary, Ann and Jane, as you call her and her

mistress ? Are yon correct in assum ing that either Mary, ann or he

mistress is to blame?' What foundation have you for laying the sin of late shopping on the domestic servants ? Where do you obtain your information when you say that the servant is only able to go shopping

after hours ? My impression is that the sinners are not the domestic servants Ly any means, nor are they persons who cannot Bhop early if they

were bo inolined, If .it were tri that either domestio;'■-.- servanl

or any other kind of servants were so held down' that they ha< perforce to shop late or not shop al

all, we, early closers, would devi

ome m am for their accommodation, probably, as matters stand. What is Saturday night for but to enable working .'people who have but on night a week properly at their' disposal to make their markets under m light? The fact of one late night being thus set apart weekly, shows the'faping of your cqnolusjo.iis in referpnee tq Mary, qp Jane. •There are not §o many dpmestio servants altogether in this neighborhood that tjioy should be made, the scapegoat for all kinds of wickedness, Tho late shoppers are men and women, I believe, who have lots of opportunity for shopping by day, but who are too careless, thoughtless,

and indifferent to the hardships oi

others to ' trouble about it. Have you ever noticed a class. of ladies who leave everything tp the last moment, who spoil their husbands nipa]s beijauSD they, put tliq vegetables or the fire five mi&wS before they are wanted on the' tfiowj who riiin the meat beoause it hris to he hurriedly baked in a red hot oVe'li and who burn tbair bread because they leave it to balio and then forget all about it ? It is this clbbs that constitute the late shoppers; They are! indolent, slovenly, and prooraHtinatiiig and if they have to rear a familyjUj}, providential 'if some of the unfortunates', 'do not. get prsmattirely i oWneJ,' ; ,g.r.s6ftlde i d, or ruined for too''heedless'"and' iiarploss % put dwger : oat of th,eir wy* tyte

shopping, sir, is but habit, like opium smoking and drinking, and it'is.ike result, of carelessness, heedlesiessiand selWndulgence. Now; ih refer-: ence- 'to - ; the only , draper who ; ; ia persistently violating our rules. He has not the shadow ot Mouse for his conduot.".?'When he oarae to Masterton some months ago he. found all tUe.drapfera.'working, amicably, and dosing their' plaoes at ■ a certain hour. ,He was asked to join in with the'; rest, but lief'bas -refused. We believe the working: men; of;.'all' trades and no trade at at.all are with

is. ; They ; are striving -fbrj better joura, and look to them for? help; in securing decent hours and time for recreation and-self improvement at

night tor tho BlaveVbf.the counter. They can holpusb'y influencing their ; .- wives to avoid late. shopping • and ;toj>' teach those who keep theirßhopsbpeii*' after the re-jularhour for closing that if ; they want any bustdm'at all .they;. must show■ that '. they 'ha.ye. iotnr; consideration for their..Tallow men." and women. 1 ani, etc.,.,, ; ,;,.. .wk pMBER'MiE.O.A.-.,-, '.;,". [We fail to see why it should not bo ■ "woman's work" to help the pause . . so ably-advocated.by! pur corns-. ■; -.pondent, and if so a Ladies Com- •;..■/. • mittc'e would-be a valuable ally to' .. the Association.: ; :'We are not quite. satisfied yet that 'domestic! servants - do not constitute a part ,6f. the : ..difficulty or that Saturday night meets : their requirements. /We v - are, \however, only too ;glad-ip. assist in ventilating all Bides of the. :.i question.'iEb. : AV.D.]-v_-,.r