The movement in favour of the early closing of shops
gathers strength. On. Monday a large meeting of London shopmen was held in Hyde Park, and the speakers, who said they represented 320,000 shop-assistants in the Metropolis alone, carried a resolution to petition Parliament for help. They say they are worked for fourteen, fifteen, and even six- teen hours a day, and at a meeting of the Early Closing Association on Thursday these statements were accepted as trim by Earl Cairns and Canon Farrar. Earl Cairns, in his speech, specially contended for. the Saturday half-holiday ; but it is especially difficult to concede this in the poorer districts, where half the shopping is done on Saturday night. Both Lord Cairns and Canon Farrar thought legislative interference im- possible, and relied exclusively upon the pressure of public opinion. That is quite right, but if the shopmen struck for a week public opinion would be much quickened, and the em- ployers would have an excuse for shutting up at a reasonable time. As Earl Cairns pointed out, they do not want to keep -open if they can help it.
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