EARLY CLOSING MOVEMENT. The Early Closing Association came into existence in Great Britain following a meet ing of drapers' assistants held at the Commercial Tavern, Holborn, in Oct. 1842. A resolution was then passed "that the present hours of business are longer than either the convenience or the neces sities of the public require and that a judicious curtailment thereof may be effected, without injury to any of the principals concerned, which would be productive of the most beneficial results." In the period 1842-1928 great progress was made, including (I) The establishment of the Saturday half-holiday culminating in the Shops Act, 1912, legalizing a weekly half-holiday for every shop assistant, (2) The Shops Seat Act (1899), which stipulates for one seat to every three female assistants in shops, (3) The Shops Act (192o), which provides compulsory closing of shops at eight o'clock weekday nights and nine o'clock Saturdays, in addition to the weekly half-holiday, and (4) improved conditions of shop life generally.
The Saturday half-holiday has now become a British national institution, and has been adopted by almost every other country in the world. (A. LK.) United States.—While most of the States have laws limiting the hours of mercantile employes, actual hours of opening and closing are determined by the individual employer or by agreement among employers in a particular locality. Early closing hours for department stores was first agitated by the Working Women's So ciety in 1891. This organization enlisted the support of women consumers in order to secure better conditions for store employes by means of constructive legislation and by securing the interest of employers through an expression of public opinion. Since its organization in 1891, the Consumers' League of New York has done much to help bring about a shorter week for women em ployes, better working conditions in retail stores, the closing of stores in the evening, Saturday half-holidays and has advocated early Christmas shopping to make unnecessary evening shopping hours during the weeks preceding Christmas.
In 1914 a number of the large stores in New York city gave a full Saturday holiday during July and August for the first time. Similar results have been brought about in other large centres by means of leagues of consumers or by joint action of merchants. As a result, store hours have been gradually decreased to nine, or more recently, eight hours a day. In rural sections, however, late hours are the rule and stores generally remain open on Satur day evenings to accommodate the large number of Saturday shop pers. In some localities where the bulk of buying is done on Saturday evening, a half holiday is sometimes given on a day in the middle of the week.
The major legal holidays are generally observed. The practice of closing for other special holidays is usually arranged by agree ment among merchants in the same line, among establishments in the community or less frequently on the initiative of an individual employer. (0. G. S.)