THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY 
NOVEMBER,  1906. 
SUNDAY  CLOSING  AND  SHORTER  HOURS. 
By  R.  W.  Cuthbbrt. 
There  is  nothing  that  touches  my  sympathies  more  than  the 
pleading  of  my  brother  druggist  for  the  days  of  rest  that  are  enjoyed 
by  every  other  man.  I  know  that  there  are  some  seemingly  good 
reasons  why  drug  stores  should  be  open  on  Sundays,  but  I  cannot 
see  why  we  are  required  to  be  open  on  Sunday  more  than  all  night. 
I  have  been  in  the  drug  business  since  1862  and  in  that  time  have 
worked  more  than  a  thousand  Sundays.  My  long  experience  at  a 
prescription  counter  convinces  me  that  the  burden  is  unnecessary 
and  that  some  thing  should  be  done  to  bring  about  a  change. 
The  subject  has  been  discussed  from  apparently  every  standpoint, 
yet  we  have  seemingly  made  no  advance.  These  discussions  have 
been  almost  entirely  among  ourselves,  and  through  our  drug  papers 
which  are  seldom  read  by  the  general  public.  We  should  prepare 
the  public  for  what  is  evidently  coming  and  have  them  take  part  in 
these  discussions  and  get  their  expression.  This  we  can  do  by  dis- 
cussing the  subject  more  openly  and  getting  at  the  people  through 
our  daily  papers.  Perhaps  the  public  is  more  reasonable  than  we 
have  given  them  credit  for.  If  I  understand  the  matter  properly, 
the  druggist  is  hesitating  solely  on  the  ground  that  his  patrons 
would  oppose  him  in  his  undertaking. 
Until  a  few  years  ago  department  stores,  grocers,  butchers,  etc., 
were  open  late  at  night,  now  all  tha*t  has  changed  and  the  public 
seems  very  well  satisfied  and  apparently  for  the  good  of  others, 
rather  prefers  it  to  be  so.  There  is  a  common  impression  that  it  is 
absolutely  necessary  for  drug  stores  to  be  open  on  Sundays,  but  if 
the  change  were  brought  about  it  would  be  but  a  short  time  before 
the  people  would  adjust  themselves  to  the  new  conditions. 
(503) 
