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Although 38 states have laws banning nonessential Sunday work, the laws in most cases are antiquated, vague, unenforced or unenforceable. In Arkansas, Colorado and Michigan, blue laws have either been ruled unconstitutional or are under appeal. In New York, an accountant who was arrested last January for working on Sunday was acquitted by a judge who pointed out that baseball stadiums and theaters have long violated the Sabbath with impunity. In many cities where Sunday-closing ordinances are enforced, merchants sidestep the law by selling from branches outside city limits. Rather than turn away customers, businessmen in such cities as Newark and Little Rock, Ark. have repeatedly paid fines and continued to cater to Sunday trade.
Critics of the blue laws argue that they ignore a profound shift in U.S. living and shopping habits. In an era of full employment, many husbands and wives both hold jobs, find it impractical to shop on weekdays. Moreover, merchants who try to solve .the problem by keeping late weekday hours report that most customers prefer to shop (and invariably spend more) on Sunday, when they can take their time and bring the family. With the exodus to the suburbs and the growth of one-stop shopping centers (TIME, Oct. 15) in outlying areas, families have become accustomed to shopping by car. Says a Cleveland housewife: "Getting up late Sunday and shopping with the kids after a slow breakfast is fun. It's like going to the fair."
Thus many retailers genuinely feel that Sunday service, however burdensome, is a necessary and legitimate response to consumer needs. In Chicago, Courtesy Motor Sales President Jim ("World's Largest Ford Dealer") Moran, a Roman Catholic, relies on Sunday deals for 25% of his weekly volume. Says Moran: "It's no sin. As long as saloons are open on Sunday, I don't see anything wrong with selling automobiles."