South Australia - Social Matters

Censorship
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Early Closing
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Totalizator
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Alcoholism and Drunkenness
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Teetotalism and Prohibition
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Miscellany

Early Closing

The South Australian of 16 March 1849, page 3d says:

Those who claim the services of shopmen from the hour of early rising to that when wearied limbs are cast heavily upon the bed actually drive them to the desecration of the Sabbath. Who can reasonably expect that when the week is passed in incessant confinement the Lord's Day will be devoted even partially to religious observance?

The Register of 3 March 1847, pages 1c-2d says:

The young men engaged in the drapery, grocery and other trades of this City are employed from 7 or 8 o'clock a.m. till 8, 9 or 10 o'clock p.m. without any cessation of labour, except just a few minutes occupied in swallowing their food... The emaciated appearance of so many, and the fact that numbers are carried off by consumption, prove that such occupations are fearfully destructive to the health.
(Register,
3 April 1851, page 2e; also see
17 April 1851, page 3e.)

We have one remark to make to the drapers' assistants when they obtain their objects. Time well employed is an excellent servant; time misspent is an exacting tyrant... and it will be their duty... to realize the advantages of which they now contend they suffer the deprecation. Not in the haunts of dissipation, the tavern, or casino, will these advantages be reaped... The cause which is gained by an appeal to moral justice, must, to retain its vitality, be supported by moral rectitude, which is a part of the compact.
(Register, 18 April 1851, page 2c.)

Also see Adelaide Times,
5 and 19 March 1849, pages 4b and 2f,
7 February 1850, page 3d,
26 April 1851, page 5d,
SA Gazette & Mining Journal,
26 April 1851, page 3d,
Observer,
5 and 19 April 1851, pages 6e and 4e,
Register,
26 April 1851, page 3a,
20 and 27 December 1853, pages 3b and 3f,
30 January 1854, page 3c,
19 September 1854, page 3d,
8 December 1856, page 2g,
7 February 1857, page 3h.

Also see Register,
16 November 1858, page 3h,
2 November 1859, page 3f,
9 May 1860, page 2h,
22 December 1860, page 3g,
16 June 1864, page 2h,
12 and 14 December 1864, pages 2d and 2h,
22 and 31 December 1864, pages 2g and 3g,
14 January 1865, page 2g,
25 February 1865, page 3c,
27 October 1865, page 3g.

Also see Register,
1 and 28 December 1865, pages 3h and 3f,
3, 7 and 9 May 1866, pages 2g, 3c and 3a,
26 December 1866, page 3a,
4 and 9 March 1867, pages 3d and 2d,
30 April 1868, page 2e,
22 May 1868, page 2f,
12, 15, 18 and 19 January 1869, pages 3b, 3f, 3g and 2g,
21 April 1869, page 3d,
13 November 1869, page 2f.

An editorial on Saturday afternoon closing of shops is in the Advertiser,
18 January 1867, page 2c.

Early closing is discussed in the Advertiser on
20 February 1867, page 3c,
7 March 1867, page 3g:

Only think of me and others (for I am asking for all) having to sew and work from 8 o'clock to 7 and after in the evening, these hot days without any intermission (Sundays excepted) and from year's end to year's end... I only ask for the same grace as the drapers' assistants are asking for, viz, shorter hours... and a half-holiday on Saturday...

Also see Advertiser
17 January 1868, page 2e,
12 May 1868, page 2g,
12, 14 and 19 December 1870, pages 2e, 3e and 2h,
13 March 1871, page 2e,
1 September 1875, page 3f.

The subjects of "Early Closing" and "Sunday Closing" are discussed in the The Lantern,
27 September 1879, page 10 (poem),
Register,
7 March 1871, page 6d,
21, 23, 26, 29 and 31 July 1880, pages 6e, 6e, 6f, 5a-5e-6e and 6f-7a,
3 and 4 August 1880, pages 4d and 6f,
25 and 26 August 1880, pages 4d-5a and 6a,
10 September 1880, page 4e,
7 November 1881, page 4g.

"The Drapers' Petition" is in The Lantern, 10 June 1876, page 13b.

Also see Register,
29 and 30 November 1881, pages 6c and 4g,
3 and 16 December 1881, pages 5d and 1a (supp.),
2 March 1882, page 1f (supp.),
6 April 1882, page 5a,
Advertiser,
12 and 16 May 1882, pages 4c and 4d,
Register,
12 May 1882, page 4d,
8, 12 and 13 September 1882, pages 4f, 6f and 7b,
2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 15, 18 and 20 November 1882, pages 5c, 4d-5f, 1b (supp.), 4f-5b, 7a-b, 5a, 4g-6a, 6e and 7b.

"Early Closing Fracas in Rundle Street" is in the Chronicle,
11 November 1882, page 6c.

Also see Advertiser,
8 November 1882, page 4f,
Register,
6 December 1882, page 1b (supp.),
1 February 1883, pages 4g-5c,
7 March 1883, page 5a,
29 June 1883, page 6e,
2 October 1884, page 5b,
13 March 1885, page 5c,
Advertiser,
23 March 1885, page 4d,
Register,
11 April 1885, page 5e,
5 June 1885, page 7g,
8 June 1885, page 7f:

Shall our men, fatigued to loathing,
Plod on sulky, worn and bowed.
Shall our maidens sew fine clothing
Dreaming of their own white shroud.

An aggrieved shop assistant expressed his opinion on the subject in the Register,
25 August 1885, page 7e:

For the last four or five months I have been hoping that the Russians would come, having heard that they compel people to keep good hours... It never enters into [an employer's] head that we are flesh and blood... We are expected to stand behind the counter from morning till night... only on Sundays catching a glimpse of the sun... Why should we never be able to see a cricket or football match... Do please, Mr Editor, do your best for us as we are a long-suffering people.

Also see Register,
2, 14, 17, 26 and 30 November 1885, pages 3f, 5b, 6c, 7g and 5b,
1 and 11 December 1885, pages 6b-7d and 7b:

It was resolved to thank Mr Basse of Rundle Street for closing his shop at 6 o'clock on Saturdays, when other members of the trade had declined.

Further comment is in the Register,
23, 25, 27 and 30 January 1886, pages 5b, 5c, 7f and 5b,
8, 9, 10 12 and 18 February 1886, pages 7a, 7h, 6h-7c, 3g and 6h,
6, 9, 13, 14 and 21 September 1886, pages 7f, 7b, 7h, 6h and 3e,
8 and 9 February 1887, pages 6h and 7h,
9 May 1887, page 7h,
8, 10, 11 and 13 June 1887, pages 3d, 7e, 7c and 7g,
(Sunday closing of hotels is discussed on
23 March 1887, page 4g),
19 October 1887, page 3d.

Also see Register,
7 November 1887, page 7c and
19 December 1887, page 6f,
18 February 1888, page 5c,
29 June 1888, page 7d,
26 July 1888, page 5a,
25 August 1888, page 5b,
28 and 30 August 1888, pages 7d and 7f,
14, 19, 22, 24 and 25 September 1888, pages 7g, 7h, 5a-b-6g, 3f and 7d:

When Saturday night arrives we are nearly half-stupid on account of the excessive pressure upon our brain power; and Sir, in my case I feel so languid (not being of a very strong constitution) that I am not able to rise on Sunday mornings in time to reach the house of prayer...

Also see Register,
8 and 20 October 1888, pages 5d and 5a,
22 December 1888, page 5d,
5, 7 and 18 January 1889, pages 5a, 6g and 5b,
28 February 1889, page 6h,
8 and 16 March 1889, pages 7c and 5b,
3, 6, and 10 April 1889, pages 7h, 5a and 5b,
11, 13, 15 and 17 June 1889, pages 4h, 7e, 7h and 7h.

Also see Register,
8, 12, 15, 17 and 22 July 1889, pages 7d, 5d, 7a, 7h and 6h,
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 17, 20, 27 and 30 August 1889, pages 7a-e, 4h-7h, 6h, 3d-6h, 7c, 7b-e, 5a, 7g, 7g, 3f and 7d,
2 September 1889, page 5a,
7 October 1889, page 4h,
2 November 1889, page 4h,
11 March 1890, page 6d,
2 May 1890, page 3h,
5 and 7 July 1890, pages 4h-7b and 4h-7b,
10 January 1891, pages 4g-5b:

It is expected that this evening [Saturday] a general system of closing at 6 pm will be begun in the city...

Sketches are in the Pictorial Australian in
November 1890, page 164; also see
Register,
12 and 13 January 1891, pages 7b and 6b,
4 and 10 February 1891, pages 6a and 7g,
9 June 1892, pages 5a-6f,
12 and 18 May 1893, pages 7a and 4h-7g,
2 June 1893, page 3g,
Advertiser,
8 June 1892, page 4e,
Register,
9 and 11 December 1893, pages 4g and 6c,
16 and 23 February 1894, pages 6h and 7e,
14 March 1894, page 6h.

An extension to early closing is discussed in the Register,
4 November 1891, page 5d. Also see
15 February 1894, page 4f
for a proposal to open on Saturday nights and
28 July 1894, page 4f, 28, 29 and 30 January 1895, pages 6a, 7c and 7f,
1, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 19 and 20 February 1895, pages 4f-5d-6e-7e, 6c, 7c-d, 6d, 4f-7b, 4f-6c, 6f-h, 5d-6e, 5a and 7f.

Also see Register,
23, 26 and 27 February 1895, pages 3g, 3f-4f and 6e,
2 March 1895, page 6h, 8,
24 and 25 May 1895, pages 6d, 6g and 6c,
1, 7, 10, 17, 28 and 29 June 1895, pages 4h, 5d, 4f-5a-6b, 4h, 6b and 4f:

If good intentions be taken as the criterion of proper enactments the Early-Closing Bill may well be classed among the best measures that have ever come before Parliament, but if probable bad performances in the shape of injustice and public inconvenience be the standard by which it is judged very little consideration will show that it is among the worst...

Also see Register,
29 June 1895, page 6c,
4 and 5 July 1895, pages 6h and 5b,
15 July 1895, page 6h,
Advertiser,
30 July 1895, pages 4e-7a,
Register,
10 and 13 September 1895, pages 3f and 6a,
15 and 16 November 1895, pages 7f and 4c-5b,
25 January 1896, page 4g,
1 and 4 February 1896, pages 4g and 7e,
19, 22, 24, 25 and 26 June 1896, pages 7a, 4f, 3f, 6f and 7d,
3, 6 and 23 July 1896, pages 7a, 4d and 5a,
4, 10 and 14 August 1896, pages 6f, 7c and 7h.

"Early Closing Legislation - Some Striking Testimonies" is in the Register,
7 July 1896, page 5h.

Also see Advertiser,
16 October 1896, page 4f,
Register,
22 October 1896, page 5b,
19, 25, 26 and 27 November 1896, pages 5a, 4h, 7c and 7a,
3 December 1896, page 7g,
28 September 1897, pages 5b-7d,
25 March 1898, page 5c,
17 June 1898, page 3g,
31 August 1898, page 6a,
22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 September 1898, pages 7c, 6e, 3d, 4i-6e-f, 6e, 7a-b and 7h,
1, 4, 5, 7 and 11 October 1898, pages 7e, 7i, 4d-5g, 6f and 3e,
20 October 1898, page 7c,
27, 28 and 31 July 1899, pages 6i, 5a-7g and 4e:

No laws to regulate hours of shopping can be acceptable unless the public want it and unless it is universally applied. If partial it must be a travesty upon its ostensible object. To exempt some things and to include others is merely farcical.

Also see Register,
4, 17 and 25 August 1899, pages 4h-7d, 6e and 6e,
2, 8 and 23 September 1899, pages 10e, 6i and 7c,
14, 20 and 21 August 1900, pages 6h, 2i and 3e,
3 and 30 October 1900, pages 6c and 4d,
Advertiser,
24 October 1900, page 4d,
3 January 1901, page 6d,
Register,
7, 8 and 20 December 1900, pages 3f-4g, 4h and 7g,
Weekly Herald,
26 August 1899, page 8a.

A photograph of "some prominent early closing employers" is in the Weekly Herald,
12 January 1901, also see
4 May 1901, page 3c.

An "Early closing test case" is reported in the Observer,
6 February 1904, page 33e.

From 1 January 1901, page 4g until the end of March 1901 there is all but daily reference in the Register to this subject; also see
24 and 30 April 1901, pages 6f and 8b,
1 and 21 May 1901, pages 6h and 6d,
24, 28, 29 and 31 May 1901, pages 6h, 6d, 9h and 6f,
26 and 30 July 1901, pages 4f and 6e,
24 September 1901, page 9f,
1, 2, 4, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29 and 31 October 1901, pages 8f, 7d, 5c, 3h, 7e, 7i, 7i, 4f, 5i, 9f and 11g,
2, 9, 13 and 28 November 1901, pages 5h, 6h, 3d and 4b,
3, 6, 9, 13 and 24 December 1901, pages 7g, 3f, 4h, 3h and 7d.

Photographs of and "early closing" picnic are in The Critic,
14 February 1903, pages 6 and 20.
Observer,
14 February 1903, pages 24-25.
Also see Adelaide - Picnics

Also see Register,
13 and 17 January 1902, pages 7g and 6b,
25 January 1902, page 4f,
1 February 1902, page 5f,
3 and 4 March 1902, pages 4h and 7b,
10 April 1902, page 7h,
7 August 1902, page 8a,
9 February 1903, page 6c (picnic),
15 April 1903, page 6f,
20 June 1903, page 10e,
5, 15, 18, 19, 26 and 30 September 1903, pages 5c, 6g, 6d, 9g, 7i and 3h.

A photograph of some "early-closing representatives" is in the Chronicle,
14 February 1903, page 43; also see
Express,
9 February 1903, page 2d (picnic),
Observer,
14 February 1903, pages 24-25.

An obituary of Jonathon Hosking is in the Observer,
7 Marh 1903, page 33c.

Also see Register,
2, 3, 6 and 10 October 1903, pages 5i-6a, 4h, 6h and 4d,
27, 28 and 30 January 1904, pages 4f, 4g and 6i-10c,
23, 24 and 29 March 1904, pages 7d, 7i and 6a,
23 November 1904, page 3f,
5 September 1905, page 3h,
5 December 1905, page 8e,
Advertiser,
28 July 1906, page 10g,
Register,
29 May 1907, page 6g,
19 June 1907, page 6h,
2 and 11 July 1907, pages 6g and 6g,
16 October 1907, page 6g,
30 September 1908, page 6e,
1, 6, 8, 14 and 16 October 1908, pages 6f, 6e, 7a, 4c and 4e.

"Clerks and Unionism" is in The Herald,
5 December 1908, page 12d.

Also see Register,
11 and 14 January 1909, pages 6e and 4c,
24 and 25 August 1911, pages 4e and 3d,
6 October 1911, page 7a,
8, 14, 17 and 29 November 1911, pages 15d, 6c, 10e and 5a-8g,
17 January 1912, page 5e,
31 January 1912, page 8c,
1, 6, 7, 8, 10, 16 and 21 February 1912, pages 6g, 7d, 5d, 8c, 14h, 5b and 5e.

"Undertakers and Early Closing" is in the Register,
2 May 1912, page 6f.

"What Saturday Closing Has Done" is in The Mail,
15 March 1913, page 9f.

Also see Register,
7 March 1912, page 14d,
24 May 1912, page 4f,
16 October 1912, page 12f,
19 November 1912, page 6c,
11 and 12 December 1912, pages 15e and 10d,
5 June 1914, page 11a,
29 November 1921, page 3f,
7 and 25 September 1923, pages 10g and 7f,
28 May 1925, page 4b,
1 October 1925, page 10a,
Advertiser,
24 July 1926, page 14d.

Friday night closing is discussed in the Register,
30 July 1924, page 9a.

Reminiscences of a riot in Rundle Street are in the Chronicle,
13 June 1935, page 14.

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