CHAPTER IV 
 
 
  THE SEASONS AND THEIR PROBLEMS 
                          SECTION I 
 
                  SEASONS AND THE TRADE 
 
  Practically all industries are subject to seasonal fluctuations, 
differing from each other only in degree. Climatic changes, 
social activity, traditions and customs, and certain purely 
economic causes such as the variations in the supply of raw ma- 
terial or a saving by production at certain seasons, form the chief 
causes of such irregularity.1 Seasonal fluctuations tend to be- 
come less marked in trades requiring expensive machinery, and 
to be more apparent as the mechanical equipment becomes more 
simple. Millinery is influenced by most of the factors indicated 
and the seasons present the most important problems of the 
trade both for employers and employees. 
  There were formerly four seasons in the millinery trade, sum- 
mer, autumn, winter and spring. Two of these, the winter and 
summer seasons, have disappeared for reasons already noted- 
the summer exodus of customers from the city to the country, 
the vogue of small automobile hats, and the exclusion of hats 
from theater and opera. The loss of two seasons may account 
for divergence of opinion among employers as to change in 
length of the seasons, the majority of them asserting that the 
seasons have grown shorter. 
   Fairly definite dates serve to delimit the retail seasons for em- 
 ployers--Easter and the Fourth of July for the spring season, 
 Labor Day and Thanksgiving for the fall season. The extra 
 work of the rush season is accomplished by employing more 
 workers, by overtime and by speeding up. The curve of em- 
 1 eeasonal Trades, by various writers, edited by Sidney Webb and Ar- 
 nold Freeman. (London, 1912.) Pp. 33-36.