The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-12-06

I holidays, viz Thanksgiving day, Christ
! mas and New Years day. Washington's
| Birthday, and the Fourth of July.
! "A fair house is one I'm which work
| lunch, and retiring rooms are apart from
each other. and conform i'm all respects to
the present sanitary laws.
I'm which the present law regarding the
/ providing of seats for saleswomen Is OBJ
! served, and the use of seats permitted
"A fair house is one in which humane
| and considerate behavior toward en-
ployes is the rule.
I'm which fidelity and length OF SER
| vice meet with the consideration which
| is their due.
"Ip which no children under "a years
OF age are employed
Following. Mrs. Nathan told OF the
hours of overtime work exacted by many
of the stores in New York without com
pensa tion OF any kind and some OF these
oyerworked girls, she said. received
wages as low as $3.50 or 50 per week.
Pathetic instances were given of little
cash girls who worked during the Christ
mas rush from early morning until 1890
o'clock. night after night.
Continuing, Mrs. Nathan dwelt upon the
hardships and the long hours of the de-
livery clerks ia all the stores and made
a strong plea that women refuse to
ceive bundles after 6 o'clock y. IN. and by
so doing bring about a better condition
one young man, she said of only Il
years was employed in the packing and
deisay department OF a well-known New
York store-not ON the white list-and
during "A busy Thanksgiving week he
was kept at work % hours without inter
mission.
Continuing, Mrs. Nathan told the
wretched conditions OF the sweat shop
system in New York. where wofnen's
wrappers are made for ~ cents a dozen
silk shirt waists at 9s cents a dozen and
shirts for ~ cents dozen, etc, etc. She
pictured the crowded tenement districts
where these garments are made, iu the
midst OF contagious diseases and unsani-
tsry conditions. of All sorts, by which the
germs Of disease are carried 10 the con
sumcr
In closing she told of the reforms
which had been brought about by the
Consumers League and the still greater
reforms which the league oped 60 bring
about
The present white list" she said. i'm
cluded "a stores whereas IL originally in
cluded but s. In closing, Mrs. Nathan
made an urgent plea for members OF the
Consumers' League and all women TO
tighten the burdens OF the workers in the
stores during the holiday season in All
possible ways.
At the close Of Mrs Nathan's talk Mrs
Spencer proceeded to the organzatio OF
the X ]. branch of the Consumers League
by asking those present 10 declare them
selves membere. by rising This was done.
after which the officers OF the proposed
organiza ton We're chosen. In this con
nection the name Of Charles G. Mum
ford was suggested az president and he
was unanimously elected
Mrs. walter Stokes Irons then named
Mrs James Il. Sullivan for the first vice
president referring TO her ability az a
leader her Interest in al philsntbropie
work and her unusual fitness for the mo-
sition. Miss Sarah ". Doyle instantly en-
dorsed the nomination OF Mrs. Sullivan
and she Vas unanimous chosen for the
importapI 0TICe OF vice DreSIdenT
Miss Clara Comstock was elected secre-
tary.
The joint committee. WHOSE names are
given az the beginning OF this article
appointed nominating committee To
choose other officers. draft y constitution
and TO arrange for All adjourned meeting
when the organization OF the Rhode Isl
and branch Of the Consumers League
will he completed
lt is proposed 10 make tho constitution
OF the Rhode Island I.esgue similar to
that of New York which is essentially As
follows:
The Consumers league recognizes and
declares the following principles.
!. That the interest Of the community
not the lowest wages, bat fair living
wages.
H. That the responsibility for some Of
the worst evils from which wagc-earners
suffer rests with the consumers who per
sist lp buying IN the cheapest market
regardles of how Cheapness is brought
about.
III Tina ~ IL therefore the duty OF tho
consumers to hnd out under what coudi-
iions the articles which they purchase are
prodnced. and 10 insist that thesa Coudi-
tions shan bc - least decent aud consist
ept with tho respectable existence ON the
part of tho workers
w That this duty Is especially incum-
hent upon consumers Ia relation 10 the
products of womstfs work. since there H.
no limit beyond witch the wages of wu-
men MAY not he pressed down unless
ariiucially main aimed az living rate b.
combinations. either OF the workers theri-
selves. or of consumers
Recognllins tho fact that the msiorlt,
Of employers are virtually helpless 20
improve conditions ss TO hours and
wages unless sustained by public opinion
by law and By he action OF Consumer
the Consumers league declares ite object
-. III. Al ~. -