The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-06-14
PROTECT BUYERS.
Consumers League to Be
Started in Jersey Next
Fall.
RESULT OF MRS. KELLEY'S LECTURE
Ladies Became Enthusiastic
on the Subject This
Morning.
RESULT OF MRS. KELLEY'S LECTURE

There was an excellent attendance, con-
sidering the heat, at Whittier House, this
morning, when Mrs. Florence Kelley, of
Hull House, Chicago, Secretary of the
National Consumers League, gave a lee
ture on that organization.
The object of the Consumers League is
that. "as the majority of employees are
virtually helpless to improve conditions
as to hours and wages unless sustained
by the action Of it may
ameliorate the conditions of the women
employed throughout the country by
helping to form a public opinion which
viii lead consumers to recognize their re-
s~ponsibilities and by other methods
The plan is to get a number of the
principal business houses who will stamp
their goods with the Consumers League
trade mark, a device in the shape of a
shield bearing the inscription, Under
good conditions." This is a guarantee to
the consumer hat the garments, more
especially of the white goods department,
were not made in the sweatshop. 1t also
protects the consumer from disease, as
there are certain sanitary laws goyafn-
ing the factories where these goods are
made, while on the other hand, it guar
antees to the employee fair wages.
Mrs. Kelley was introduced by Miss Cor
nelia Bradford. Mrs. Kelley told how
she had become interested in the league.
after ten years work. said she, I'VE.
nave not enough garment workers to
fill this room. She was speaking of the
effort made to organize the employees in
Chicago into a league to protect them
selves she +o1a ROW i, namnany xr;+b
Miss Adame Che had nsraeea ~ eo,forca
the labor laws in Illinois as to working
hours and tha ape for eronlaves
massachusetts, said she. shegan this
work in an entirely different wav bv cd
heating the eYnnlove and n,blie 10 their
relations In each other and then ex-
nlained how tbis pave rise IN the idea
of a National, Consumers, Learr,e.
She then explained how now that the
sweatshep laws in New York were be-
coming more and more stringent. New
Jersey must suffer from the influx of
man,,farturers who viii coma over the
wafer TO eseane the New York laws.
while &C tbe same stringent. laws being
enforced in pennsvlva mia. there must also
he ~ ;nauv from that stare making~a
strong appeal for better conditions and
mOTG Stringent If US IN J61S STATE,
She then smoke of several handsome.
well confined factories which were fnan-
ciallv failures becar1se the buver does not
care where or how his goods are made,
and these factories were therefore being
1ndercut by the sweatshop prices. Now"
continued she, 1.-THE movement is to in
terest the buyer in the conditions under
which their garments are made
Then, after dwelling on the evils of in
lection of the sweat shop work the
speaker COMMUNICATIONS intention is not
to take the word of the manufacturer,
but to cooperate with the factories and
consumers" She told how this could be
done If the consumer would ask for goods
with the Consumers League label on
them. These she said were not largely
on the market as vet, but would be after
the first of July.
Mrs. Kelley said, in conclusion, that
out of the audience present might grow
a Consumers League for the State OF
New Jersey. She told how the GOOD
cause might be forwarded by nfinslne
the matter before the various State or
ganiZation meetings Throughout the sum-
mer.
Mrs. e. A.. Williamson spoke Oh the
evils of the sweatshops IN fhliaoeiphia
and the dirty cohululoh VI ~ si
where these sWeatshop COLONIES We're De-
ing formed. There rs Iolhias like d
w6fnan's organization for this WORK sald
the Federation President, "and though
next to Miss Bradford, ! am probably
the hardest worked woman in the State,
I will organize and help carry on a Con-