Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-11-19
THE CONSUMERS LEAGUE.
What q Sensible Woman's OrganiSatIO
Ts Doing for Shop Girls.

What q Sensible woman's Organization
Ts Doing for Shop Girls.
A little over a year ago mass meeting
was held at Chickering hall under the
auspices of the Working Nomen's society
for the purpose of establishing what is now
known as the Consumers league, an or
ganization declaring its object to be ito
ameliorate the condition of the women and
children employed in the retail mercantile
houses of this city by patronizing SO far as
practicable only such houses as approach
In their conditions TO the standard of a
fair house as adopted by the league, and
by other methods
The principal officers of the league are
Mrs Charles Russell Lowell, president;
Mrs. Charles S. Spofford, treasurer; Miss
Caldwell, recording secretary, and Mrs.
Robert V. McKim, corresponding secre-
tary; and these women have succeeded
during their twelve months of Office in ren.
dering very efficient aid TO women en-
For tins it was up hill work; first, to
induce employers to believe that they were
treating their employees badly, and then to
elicit from them promise to change their
methods; but business men are not unjust
and hard hearted, and one by one they are
gradually showing their willingness to see
the matter in the right light
Besides, large number of women in
New York who do much shopping have
put their shoulders to the wheel in order
to force out of existence this form of op,
preston to shop employees, and this action
has even more weight with the shopmen,
strange as it may seem, than has the moral
side of the questionable awakening to the
) sense of injustice
The names of a few of the firms were to
be had at once, and these were issued by
the Consumers league in the shape of a
''white list for the benefit of the shoppers
interested in the reform. This list is being
added to each month"; and it Is hoped in the
end that all the retail establishments will
sign the paper
The standard of "fair housep Is Zone in
which equal pay is given for work of equal
value, irrespective of sex; in the depart
ments where women only are employed,
in which the minimum wages are six
dollars per week for experienced adult
workers, but fall in few instances be.
low eight dollars; in which wages are
paid by the week; in which fines, if i'm
posed, are paid into fund for the benefit
of the employees; in which the minimum
wages of cash girls are two dollars per
week, with the same conditions regarding
weekly payments and fines; in which
the hours from a. m. to D. m, with
three-quarters of an hour for lunchl con-
stitute working day, and a general
half holiday is given on one day of each
week during at least two summer months;
g. talA -.
week is given with pay during the summer
season; in which all overtime is compensat.
/. ed for; in which work, lunch and retiring
rooms are apart from one another, and con
form in all respects to the present sanitary
laws; in which the present law regarding
the providing of seats for saleswomen is
observed and the use of seats permitted;
In which humane and considerate be-
havior toward employees is the rules in
which fidelity and length of service meet
with consideration which is their due; in
which no children under fourteen years of
age are employed"
No one who reads these rules will find
anything unreasonable in them. On the
contrary, even the woman who has borne
resentment In her heart toward this or that
clerk because of having been treated by
her with indSerence or disrespect will not
wish her to be cared for in less humane
manner than this paper demands.
In the constitution ado'''na hv the Con.
sumers' league the con6 IN of member
ship is the approval by nature of the OBJ
ject of the league, all persons being eligi
BILE excepting such as are engaged in the
retail business in New York.--.New York
World