New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-22
THE CONSUMERS LEAGUE.
,o,ns IT'S ANNUAL MEETING AND
ELECTS A GOVERNING BOARD.
,rssre MADE Ply JOHN b CLARK MISS
CHARLOTTE c WILKINSON. MISS MINNIE
voerS AND DR. RAINSFORD.

,-nprssrs MADE RY JOHN b CLARK MISS
CHARLOTTE c WILKINSON. MISS MINNIE
ROsrx AND Or RAINsFORD
$3.50, .vro hundred women and half dozen men
We, Yesterday afternoon IN the asseno! nan % mo
yo,ng Women's Christian Association 40. East
-',.u.h.- Cor the annual meeting OF the Con-
.,-,srs' League The president, Mrs rreoer'cK
Nathan. presided; reports were READ. anu '"v 10
-. Governing Board elected: Mrs freo-
.-ck Nathan. president: Mrs H. NJ. De"eeS' us
v,cs-president; Mrs. John R. Macarthur, SooO"1
y1c.-president: Mrs. Alfred Chapn thiro VIE ~,
da,,. Mss Annie Stone treasurer; MISS l. l. -
we'll recording secretary. Miss Emma Do va.
-.s,s,rd,,g secrefAry: Mrs. J. G. CrcSsweIi' NIsS
80. r,o6ga Miss Edith Kendall MISS . a
49, Ma Pavard T Putnam Mrs Lewis .
y,-,s MIS- C. Reid Miss Mary d. saHoru 'i,9'
$50 Mrs C C. Wide Miss Lillian D. val"
%. ls.,sr Phelps Stokes. Mrs. John Greehousu'
Mrs Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes. MISS va. r
Prr,p,on Miss Mildred MniuIn MIS- O""''
Miller and Mss Mary KingsbuTy' .,a
~ 49, r-as,4or-'s report IT was stated tha' inc
--,ro,Dal work OF the league during the year Jus,
rs, had been the effort to arrive al some i ,',oI
y. ,nsu-ing the production OF goods u"uoi "s
conditions To this end conferences were an H"eV
,.n tho nres dents OF the Mercantile ana I'e'a4'
DRY Goods Associations and win o'heiS' "1
sivisahnity OF consumers abel was u'SC"soe1
Tea AMI decision was that It would be useless 10
,ysh the movement til the pubic had pee" GU
cated 10 10 H. FOR on.y when The pubic den'aAuS
the label can the merchants exact II OF 'le manu-
fact urers 1900 =,
Mrs Nathan stated that the correspondence "a
the league was growing large and that many ilo"
,,s,,hers wrote for the white list" OF stores.
Tho chairman Of the Investigating Comlhlt'eo
stated that she was greatly in need OF helpers, as
the amount u work in this Inc "as oniS '
BY the size OF the working force
~ . fe la1C
s.-ed addresses were made by Professor Johh
Bates Clark OF Columbia University; MISS Char-
ore c. Wilkinson. Of Hartley House. Miss Minnie
Rosen ORGANIZER Of the Womens Union oi t"o
United Brotherhood Of Tailors, and the he'' III
u : Rainsford Professor Clark spoke on the
economic theory on which the leagues WORK "aS
based, and asserted that It was peilecuy sou"N
. 1900. :. 10
..you do not feht the competitive system ne
ss,s ..hut make use of It effect your oeneVoeht
ends BY exerting little power. therefore, you
are enabled 10 do great dea Of good for MS Gus
ION is a merchants most sensitive point anu '"0
fear OF seeing Hide of 1t vanishing Is an ex-
ceedingy potent force with him"
Professor Clark concluded by saying that the
tendency OF the present trade system was TO bring
the morality Of particular trade down 10 the level
Of the souless and constituencies employer. and
that such work that Of the Consumers League
help TO counteract this tendency.
Mss wilkinson spoke on the sweating system
dwelling particular on the serious menace II offers
70 the public health.
"sweatshop work leads in few years" she said.
40 consumption either OF the lungs or the intes-
tines- Buttonholng induces curvature OF the
spine and many other diseases are incident 10 the
lie Moreover the poverty and ignorance of the
workers cause them TO conceal the existence Of
disease in their families They are so poor that
rhey cannot stop work and ignorant that they
Go not appreciate the danger. Even smallpox is
concea ed al sorts OF methods being used TO
detection. Work stops for nothing but DEATH and
one case IS on record in which not moment was
lost between the time when the little child fell into
.ub OF boiling water and its burial three days
later"
The laws regulating the sweating system have
been almost entirely Ineffective. Mrs. Wilkinson
SAID. owing largely 70 the difficulty OF fixing re-
oso,y e' ne Nio bE Ss without he Abolition
OF tenement-toase labor ana the creation OF re-
Miss WiiKi..s5n gained her knowledge OF sweat
shoPs by iaTe.tiga,ing them pcrsonally IN Boston,
Newark and levy oTH s;,.,... ..o..
Mss Koser Endorsed all Miss "llhinsoh s'ato'
~ the coSts that look so beautiful in the shop
could speak. they would tel Of nothing but tears
We are worse than slaves for the slave-owner had
U take o. mis- property. bu; the sweater can
every c'jp taere Is a bitter drop but we have the
whole cup " poison. without one crop OF sweet
And we are poweress" she continued We
cannot free ourselves any than the colored
slaves could. Strikes ana boycotts are useless;
no amy but legislation can help us -. -
Abiding 20 what Miss Wilkinson had said aoout
Infection being carried in garments, MISS Kqseh
stated that clothing had come into the room where
she was empl wed win such "A dreadful Odor that IL
was almost impossible 10 work on T. Ana mat
u yoJ want t. know" she added. rs the way as
Ease gets into tie homes Of the rich
EDUCATE PUBLIC SENTIMENT.
Or. Rslns'ord expressed great distrust II legisla-
ton I'VE have a way OF thinking in America"
he said that legislation can DO everything. You
get your law passed and then go home and smoke
your pipe-excusc me- ] mean get your husbands
that everything IS all right and IN
SIX months thinEs AS bad ~ ever. Inc only
Nay to secure Elective law Il to educate pubHc
sentiment I'D 81 express Itself III law ana TINS your
league Is doing"
Dr Rainsfori continued that department stores
had come 20 stay. and that II was useless 10 nght
trusts Combination was the law OF the time ana
he believed thai ont Of II would grow d larger
moral idea Meantime the Consumers League
was doing the best that could De cone uhaeI inc
circumstances In ameloratng existing conditions
without trying 70 change them. Dr Ralhsioru
concluding advice was;
BE careful where you put your foot down. put
when you have once done 80 draw up me oth''
one and keep them both there go
To do this the reverend gentleman thinks II VIII
be necessary for the league 10 rise superior 10 ne
NewYork womans natural Discrimination 20 SUCK
The league has Endorsed the druggists bin and
ster the meeting an opportunity 10 sign the petit
ton was given n any one wishing 70 do SO
Albany Jan 1.-THE Consumers League OF New
York City was incorporated to-day 10 ameliorate
the condition and protect The interests Of working
yemen and shop girls The directors are Mrs.
Frederick Nathan Mrs ". NJ Devices. Miss Annie
md L al