Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-08-27

paid by the week in which fines. if i'm
posed, are paid into a fund for the ben
eft of the employees; in which the mini-9
mum wages of cash-giils are 81 per
week, With the same conditions regard
ing weekly payments and fines.
A fair house is one in which the
hours from s a. M. to 6 p. m. with
three quarters of an hour for luncil)
constitute the working day, and gem
eral half-hoiiday is given on one day
of each week during at least two SUM
mel, months; in which a vacation of not
Hess than one week is given With pay
during the summer season; in which all
ovsr-tilne is compensated for
"A fair house is one in which work
lunch and retiring rooms are apart
I from each other. and conform in all re-
spects to the present sanitary laws, in
Which the present law regarding the
providing of seats for saleswomen is;
observed, and the use of seats per-
lmitted.
"A fair house is one in which humane
land considerate behavior toward ems.
iployes IS the rule: in which fidelity and
length Of service meet with the consiG-
Ieratien that is their due: in which no
ciliidren under II years Of age are enl-
4 If.eyed
After careful inquiry eight shops.
We're recognized as fair and placed
upon the white list, so-calied. Repu-.
table employers We're ready to avail
themselves of the protection against
competition thus slfs.
1forded. The original list was steadily
augmented, until today more nhan forty
A.
as fair houses and an
Iappreeia BILE advance in the standard Of
.lemplos1nent is evident thruout the
shopping district.
4 The intluence Of this organization of
PURCHASERS has been rendered effective
lin the field Of Legislation also The
lConsumers' League Of New York was
Liable to bring such pressure to bear.
upon the stats legislature as to secure
Illegal protection for young persons en-
sttpioyed in retail stores CORES spending to
.ithat already afforded 10 factory en-
iployes Of the same age. (Mercantile
IInsnection Act. 1890
From New York the movement has
$lsprsad TO other large cities. During 1897
CONSUMERS leagues we're formed IN
5lPhiladelphia. Brooklyn and Chicag go
i Boston foliowed in 1S9S In each city
i INQUIRY into the conditions af employees
I'm the retail stores resulted in some de-
l.Niee for indrcing purchasers IL parron-
fzs the high-srada shops. by 1855 tlls
lsevaral state leagues had reached such
si.proporti6ns as 10 suggest the advaR-
sl.iase Of co-operatiol. The .Nationa!
tIfFederation Of Consumers Leagues was
#laccordinglS organized on ian. Is. 1899.
4 The federated orsa nizatians have uil-
idertaken a task much more difficult
l5than that of raising the standard OF
tempiovment in the retail stores. They
lare endeayar!ng to aid the producer as
tIWeit as the distributor During hepast
Tldeeade public attention has been drawn
sIto#the shocking conditions which OBJ
3ltain in the Manufacture of clothing by
la notable series Of soNernlnent iovesti-
legations. Tie report of the select com-
Iamittee of. the house Of lords on the
slsWeating system llSSSl. of the congress
flsional committees on the sweating sEs-
Item t1Sa3) aud of the Canadian commits
.lsion tlSa6) have gone ta,, 10 prove that
1.-THE sewing trades as. az present carried
lon are menace To public health and
lmorals. Cut-throat competition among
manufacturers, merchant tailors. con-
Il tractors ana f, 5WofRilltil III tuT1l mas
.lforced down the cost Of production until
1 filthy workshops, starvation wages. eX
/ lcessive working hours and child-labor
Icharaeterize the industry wherever it
lis found. in London, New York, Chi
\ cago or Toronto
i There is every. reason to suppose that
this bitter struggle for existence will
slacantinue. for the sweat-shop boss is
|competing not only With his rival corr
5|siractcr but with the factory An in-
5Ivestigation Of the white goods business
in New York City, carried on under the
iauspices of the Massachusetts and New
York Leagues CMalter S. Utfard, 1880,
demonstrated that cotton underwear
lmay be manufactured as eheaply in
i factories where machines are run by
4 s|electricity. and where hours are regu-
Hated, sanitation enforced and child
4 labor prohibited by the. factory code as
aIunder sweat-shop conditions. A consid-
lerable proportion of the work is still
Isent out to the tenement houses in the
iContinued on Second Page.)