Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-05-28
TIE MOTHERS PURPOSE
Purpose Of Mothers Congress Was
to Improve Conditions Sur
rounding Childhood.
Aim to Secure Laws Preventing
Child Labor-Extension Of the
kindergarten.
Sweat shop Labor TO Be Disccs-.-
aged Shorter Hours For the
Women Laborers.
Sweat Shop Labor TO Be Disccas..

Special to Times-Republicap.
Des Moines, May 2S.-The definite
purposes of the mothers congress.
ed TO see, are we'll enough understood by
the active workers of this great move
lment-to improve the conditions SUR
rounding childhood and motherhood.
Organizations of this character are sup
posed to accomplish their ends in two
| ways, thru legislation and thru the eds
Iucation of the people. The mothers
|congress workers are adopting both
1 these means. They are putting out
vast amount of Information and inter-
Testing literature along the linesof their
work. Thru their local organizations
\ and individual influence they are seek
ling to reach the legislatures. and espe-
lcially the school boards, to secure the
Ipassage of laws preventing child labor,
shorter hours of work for women, giving
& woman more right to her children and
I1er property, and the extension of the
a kindergarten into the public school sys-
tenn. feature of the congress on two
II days was the reports received from IN
K SEdiyidual clubs scattered all over the
8 country as to what their work had been.
AT Least half of these clubs told of
s. bringing influence to bear upon the
school boards in their towns to estab-
|lish free kindergartens in connection
u with the public schools. The organiza-
Istions carrying out the mothers con-
L. .<,ti, s.r,d
movements They have aided humane
societies, and it was noticeable that the
women attending this congress did not
;. believe in wearing birds on their hats.
I The organization is gaining in strength
land influence and may be expected to
4 accomplish important results as long as
+ 1T kee,ls swithinsthe legitimate bounds of
J. lits stated functions. This 1t will do as
long as the present management is in
. Econtroi.
4 Another definite object of the congress
= liz to discourage the sweat shop in every
possible way. The only way TO do thi:
is for women to find out what goods
are not made in sweat ships and insis'
upon having no others. This is a very
hard thing to do at present with any
II thing but wome!t's underclothing. FIT
y teen factories manufacture these goods
A. under favorable conditions and they
i bear the label of the Consumers
g League. which is a guarantee that they
h are made in clean factories by well paie
l. labor Mrs. Florence Kelly, secretary q
l. the Consumers League OF New York
3 says thai only one manufac'ory of boys
Knee pants in the United States is fre,
IS from the sweat shop curse This fac
ltory ia located in Detroit. Mich.
o,J .,f r,rrn &c
- is showing its definite purpose in goin;
\, 10 the south with its INSTRUMENTATION,
Y. thing which it is quite likely to do. Th
!, purpose here shown is to reach the chill
! labor evil which has grown to danger
lous proportions in the south. The pas
q. sage of stringent laws against child la
- = Dor in the New England states has driv
- en- the ecottonfactories outof those state
Into the south. where they9can get til
cheap labor of women and chldre.
Alabama offered premium to thes
by Isfacories by repeating law restrlctln
81 child labor so that nothing should inter
as fere With their contracting for the labc
tn Iof children from sunrise 10 sunset.
ng whieh is the legal daS's work for chi
ne dren i'll some of the southern states. ]
un North and South Carolina and Georgi
Sc efforts are being made 10 secure II
ng lpassage Of LAWS to restrict child labo
he The holding of a great meeting ltke Y
ru national congress of mothers. bringin
Ms 50 many fstii,3;;s; ara d5le siealss.
as whose addresses would be published
nd. the newspapers. would arouse publ
ise sentiment against this evil and wou
.g- be of great educational value in 9th
,th prospects The congress is deeply int
ers I.csted i'll the establishment of free XII
is dergartens for the colored children
wol the south. aud If the meeting is held
the south, as now proposed. this subjts
would in an adrot way be thorough
discussed. The results of the meetin
iif held in Atlanta. ought to be very sa
isfactory to the people who are endea
oring 10 promote the purposes for Viii
~ the congress stands,