Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-03-31

I read in the daily newspapers that
a strong effort is being made to have
Congress or the proper departments
at Washington, repress one particular
form of the sweatshop evil-namely:
The making of clothing for soldiers
and sailors in such places. This effort
should and no doubt will succeed. But
the point to which l wish to call at
tention just now is this: There is
one sure cure for sweatshop evils and
lots of other evils of like nature, and 1t
is the only sure cure. 1t is the union
label. Until we insist upon having a
union label upon all things we buy,
we will never know with certainty I'M
der what conditions the things we buy
were made. There are many laws reg
ulating factories, shops, hours, etc., but
they are not, as rule, very generally
enforced. They are enforced where
unions are recognized, and elsewhere
may or may not be, generally the lat
ter. The sweatshop manufacture of
garments for soldiers is a great nui-
sance, but is not a greater nI-
sance than sweatshop manufacture OF
garments for civilians; neither is it
more disastrous to those compelled to
work under the death-dealing condi-
lions of the sweatshop than the latter.
But we hear little of the real cure for
the evil in all the proper Indignation
that is expressed that the govern
oA, c1.< ha bod IN,
such debasing manner We read that
steps will be taken to have these con-
tracts executed in an American, work
manlike way, that is all. We read
nothing about taking the step that
would make the sweatshop impossible,
by demanding, either by law enforced
to the letter, or an irresistible public
opinion, that union label be the in
dispensable tag of everything offered
for sale on the American market. We
have factory, mine and shop laws.
They cover, more or less fully, the sub
jects of sanitation, safety of employees,
prevention of child labor, length of
workday, method Of paying wages. We
have inspectors to enforce these laws,
and the very general experience of
these inspectors is that foT various
reasons they cannot very efficiently
compel compliance with them, chiefly
because they cannot secure the evil
dence that would convict. Where there
are unions, however, different state
of affairs exists. The union is the
70 incnaofn,
devised, is or guard in the shop or
mine all day. requires no pay for serv-
ices, and never fails to get the best
sort of evidence when it finds it neces-
Sary to lodge legal complaint. Labor
anions are responsible for nearly if
aot altogether every scrap of modern
legislation that looks to improve the
condition of workers; and every fac
lory inspector will tell you, l think,
that without the inspecting done by
labor unions the work of the official
state inspectors would be ridiculously
inadequate Once let it become fash
ionable to have no goods in any mar
ket except goods bearing union label
and there will be absolutely no need
of factory laws or factory inspectors
There would not be sweatshop In the
land, and it would not be necessary to
invoke the aid of congress or anyone
else to remedy what is, after all, sim
ply the latest manifestation of an old
evil that is bound to be with US in
great diversity of forms, until we reach
that stage of national intelligence
when we shall see that there can be