EAIILY CLOSING. 
577 
and class feeling may be suppressed for tbe common good, in tlie endeavour 
to render tbe examination of chemists compulsory. This, Sir, is liberal! 
But could not some return be made, by which the present members might 
receive some acknowledgment of their liberality? Could not some lasting 
testimony be accorded to those who have laboured for the honour, have borne 
the burden of the Society, these many years, and raised it to its present high 
position ? 
In reading some of the numerous letters on the subject, it occurred to me 
that such a union of the two bodies was quite possible, without the present 
members of the Society losing one iota of their enjoyable position. To effect 
this, let the Pharmaceutical Society obtain a new Act in lieu of their present 
one, rendering it compulsory for all to pass an examination after a certain 
date ; admit all chemists in business as members, all assistants as Associates ; 
and present apprentices to pass a Minor examination within one year from 
the passing of the Act. The present members to be made honorary members, 
or some other distinctive term, to enjoy all the privileges of the Society 
without paying the annual fee, the same with all who have passed the Major 
examination, and registered Associates of the Society ; those who have passed 
the Minor only, to have their fees returned, or to stand over for the registra¬ 
tion fee,—these to pay the annual subscription. 
All, I think, agree in wishing for a compulsory Act; at the same time all, 
or nearly all, desire the Act to include the whole body of chemists. 
These, Sir, are a few rough ideas of an occasional reader, yet you may 
perhaps think them worthy an insertion in your valuable Journal. I enclose 
card and address. 
AVurs very truly, 
April 18, 1866. Header, 
EAPiLY CLOSING. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
Sir,—A letter appears in the * Chemist and Druggist ’ of the 15th ult., 
signed “ Anti-Slavery,” and the subject he writes upon is the much-vexed 
one of “ hours of business.” As an “ assistant,” he naturally sees but little 
difficulty in the matter, and proposes a uniform hour at which we shall in 
appearance close our shops. Nothing is more certain than that keeping our 
shops open will induce custom, and, for myself, I cannot see why the night- 
bell should not commence its duties a little earlier than it has hitherto done. 
The thing is practicable enough if we could only be unanimous; the old 
adage, “ what is sauce for goose is sauce for gander.” If a complete non- 
appearance of business is assumed by us at a particular hour, our customers 
will not be long in finding it out; and with respect to the remark made by 
an employer, also in the ‘ Chemist and Druggist,’ that his neighbour broke 
the contract entered into between them, I am inclined to believe that if the 
attention of the public is called to the fact that we are the only tradesmen 
who are excluded from the benefits of early closing, it would show a sym¬ 
pathy with our cause, and that none of our regular customers would forsake 
us. The two or three shops open, supposing such to be the case, would 
obtain but a doubtful fame as to the civility or attention likely to be mani¬ 
fested towards purchasers who came for the simple reason that they could 
not get waited on anyivhere else. 
Surely a body of well-educated tradesmen, a portion of the community in 
whom is placed greater confidence than any other, would not ask in vain of 
their friends and connections that they might be relieved from their daily 
