Morning journal and courier., 1890-07-12
THE FLEETING SHOW.

more surely than with any fuel not so easily controlled.
 THE FLEETING SHOW.
 Some of Its Facts and Fancies. Written Expressly for the JOURNAL AND COURIER UEcohrLINENrARY TO woMANKIND. Once upon time, at free public library, lady presented a card properly signed by herself as applicantfor library privileges, with the name of a reputable woman, property holder and taxpayer of that town attached as reference. The card, much to her sur prise, was refused and she was told that only e member of the male persuasion could be- come her guarantor. Upon asking the req. son for this peculiar regulation she was told that it was 'the rule," a very satisfactory ex- planation, and the card was returned to her with instructions to take 1t out on the street and and some man to sign 1t. This she did not do, but presumably any passing rag gatherer who could write name to be found l in the directory of that city might have added his signature, this reference would 1 have been accepted, and thus the supremacy of man would have been gloriously msin- i tained.
 l This historic event did not take place "In l Darkest 8Africa,n for public libraries do not l there abound, nor yet in some obscure Euro- pean town during the Middle Ages, but in
 civilized. enlightened, progressive oonnecti- cut. 1 In what citya
 l That's telling.
 THE CONSUMERS LEAGUE.
 At meeting hsld in Ohickering hall on
 the sixth of May last, to consider the griev-
 anoes of women and children employed in
 the dry-goods stores of New York, Rev. Dr. Huntington spoke in favor of the eight-hour plan, arguing that as dry goods stores were
 centers, not of production but of distribu tion, for purposes of distribution eight hours l would answer quite as we'll as ten. Taking
 the year around, DO less quantity of goods
 would be sold if all stores were closed at five
 o'clock; the buying and selling that is done
 between five and six would merely be done
 at an earlier hour, and in reply to the question:: How is this result to
 he brought abouti" Dr. Huntington answer
 ed, "By the cooperative action of the edu-
 eated, intelligent and influential women of
 New-Yofk." It seems that already such &C.,
 tion has been taken. A few weeks ago .
 number of ladies met representatives of the | Working Women's society to consider these
 matters, and as a result the Consumers league has been formed. This association of women have agreed never to do any shop- l ping after half-past five on any day, and not at all on Saturday afternoons, moreover each
 one of them has pledged herself to secure the l names of ten other women who will enter in f to the same agreement. Among different circles in New York society petitions for this purpose are being circulated, and at a 3 church service recently held, the matter be ing brought before the pespls, the entire
 congregation pledged itself to carry out this
 plan. "This," says Mary Gay Humphries in
 an article upon this topic, "withous waiting for legislative action to shorten hours, or to l obtain Saturday half holidays, 1t is possible by concerted movement among those who
 feel some responsibility in this matter, to dc | much to secure both.
 = Another thing the Coneumers' league pro. 8 pose to do is to purchase only at those stores where those who serve them do 80 under certain favorable conditions, as of hours wages and sanitary considerations. Thsr' |. are such stores, "fair houses," as they ar,
 called by the ladies of the league, and doubt
 less there would be may more, could em | ployers find themselves sustained by tn, shopping public. Certainly everyone has thu
 right of choice as to where their purchasing I, shall be done, and if enough people agree tt II encourage only those dealers who treat thei t employees with justice and consideration
 other dealers will soon find 1t an advantsg
 to adopt the same methods.
 Il It may be that in New Haven there is no d so much need of such an association as il o many cities, yet without organizing all, Nev Haven shoppers might do two things whic
 would be of great advantage to both work 10 Ing men and women. In all stores clerk ,. are obliged to leave the stock arranged i perfect ordsr for the mornings work, and A- they are kep. busy to the last momen r- ten or fifteen minutes work is adde
 to the tired wage-earner's day, and thi
 might easily be saved them if ladies woul re make it a rule to cease their shopping, wher ss ever possible, at half-past five. By th
 plan, also, the horse cars between the houl As of . and p. m. would be left almost entir, y ly for the benefit of working people and bus es ness men and women. Az 1t is, shoppir
 ladies with their arms full of bundles crow
 into the oars and occupy the seats, whi
 saleswomen who have been on their fe st nearly all day, weary looking girls from u go shops and tired men with dinner pails, co es tent themselves with standing room, with |, without the inadequate support of stra ~ Or 1t may be that the shopper, quite he obliged to stand, but as this may be for on rs once to the possible six times of the othe
 she is not so deserving of either the seat Ar- the sympathy. A little forethought and sho n. ping over with by half-past 5, when hon ve cares prevent one from taking the mornil
 hours for this purpose, would poevent tf
 this inconvenience and result in the comic Is of all concerned.
 It's TEN MINUTES DAY.
 he Truly of societies, clubs, organizations 1e, all kinds, there is no end; they spring up nd all sides, and very unusual it is to find ys- intelligent human being who does not belo ,sd to one or more of them. The last to col ver into notice, perhaps, is the Ten-Minutes x. Day society, which grew out of e story WI 'no ten by Margaret E. Sangster, and publish nd in the s. s. Times, as the Lend Hand clu ich and others of the kind originated in Rev. a,, E. Hale's "Ten Times One"
 All that is required of members of tl
 society is that they shall spend ten minu of each day, six days in the week, lost time - be scrupulously made up as soon as pos Ine ble, in working for other people. One he Idy per week seems 30 little time to give that c the might expect only very meagre results, ths think 1t uselsss to join such a society at '.s ' but in this, as in everything else, cooper leo tion works wonders. A society numoerl Jar one hundred members, described in of Christian Union, sends away once in .. months large boxes of children's clothing 2 na' various useful articles as the fruits of the labors. To defray expenses, each mem' in pays an annual tee of ten cents. Honor. ,bi- memberships cost but one dollar, while ... members are made upon payment of hve q nsS lars The society does not specify the k sts of work to be taken up by It's work of only requesting that no unnscessa
 expense shall be incurred and that ev
 article shall be simply made and of practi ong value, while all are at liberty to give av ..,. articles made when and wherever they . 's-s think best. There are many who are giv seq ncthing bscauss little seems to them 'uss worth tho Riviuss but surely the systemi