The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-05-10
"a. A GOOD r. PAPER
Read Bofors the Federation Of
I Wo,nan's Clubs
REoENTLY.M oRgENv,LlE.
The conIumars' & League and
what Il ls Doing 10 he'p
Women and Childron
Wage Earnors

'sss5 Wage Earners
We publish bolow psper read be.
fore the State meeting of tho Fedora
tion Of Womap's Clubs recently held in
Greonville by Mrs. Calvert, a talented
4 Spartanburg woman:
Ten years ago, tho Women's Work
4 ing Society Of New York iDauguratod q
movement in tho interest of tho women
and children employed 3ib the. retail
stores Of that city. Their investigation
B proved that tho working hours were ex-
& #oessive, that overtime was not paid for,
J fines were exOrbitant, wageB were low,
s. children under fourteen woro employed
contrary to law, and all sanitary and
physical conditions were unnotioed.
Suoh surprising conditions were found
X to exist, that. a public appeal was made,
which resulted in tho oonsumers League
Of Now York oity. So,no time after
ward, State League was organized,
\ and so confident and persistent have
tho workers in tho movement been, that
4 now hero arc leagues in oloven States,
j ali united .undor The National Con.
I pumer's League.s
iNS.t u uo' ,HOIu u VUu3umeI uo1ot Aol Waut
Of a moro specific term, 10 used as
csynon9mous with tho word buyer"
u A consumer's league, or q league Of
4 buyers is .'an association Of persons,
S-who purpose to do their buying in such
]. ways as; will bottor tho conditions Of
those who mako andthose who distribute
the. thinge bought.
q In the ten minutes limit allowed me
by our president, I can merely outline,
first, tho teachings and principles Of
the league, and SECOND it's practical
8 aims, aa applied to individual effort.
The general principles as stated in
tho constitution are:
l.. That tho interest of tho oommu.
@ nifty demands that all workers should
receive fairsliying wages.
2. That the responsibility for some
Of. tho worst evils from which wage.
oarners suffer, rests with the consumers
X who bersistiA buying in the cheapest
\ market, regardless Of how that cheap.
ness is brought about.
8. "That it is therefore the duty Of
oonapnaers to find out under what con
5iditi6na tho articles they buy are pro-
I'd and, TO innist that these oondi;
sss RgRRas.sa, Ras ss
4 of tho workers i. S 3sI .53.
I!he Immediate, aim Of the league is
ss:first, to- oxtend among all classics Of
mercantile houses the oom nendabfe
condition. now existing in the best; and
second, to abolish the sweating system
this laat being the special task Of the
National League.
The league practically applies those
principles by promoting the standard
ola Fair House, and White list by tho
use of Consumers League Label, and
by promoting more humane labor laws.
The advisory Board and various com.
mittpes work continuously with the
factory inspectors and by patient in
sistenoe, sucoceed in some measure in
having the labor laws enforced.
Their standard of fair house regu
lates the wages. working houses. fines,
& Holidays, vacations and physical CON.
diti6ns of all employees. The white
Listis published list Of all retail
! houses, which conform most closely to
the standard Of affair house.
The Consumers League label is their
trade mark, as it were-and is used to
enable tho purchaser to distinguish ar.
nfents made in faotoriee approved by
u tho:league from those made under othor
oonditions
The National League, leaving the
local organizations to adapt such lines
ofBpeoial work as seems, most needed in
itslooality, has confined itself to an, in,
vestigation of the conditions Of the
manufacture Of white muslin underwear
to the pre- motion. of the use of tho labol
and most largely to the education Of
4 purchasers BY means of lectures, litera-
/. ture, and organization. Twenty. two
( faeteEes: have adopted the. use of The
labelsAand a glance at their names ia
convincing proof that the very best
I. goods are made by thom..
Tho work Of creating steady do.
mahd for label goods devolvos upon the
State leagues; and upon the effort Of
individual members. This work is be-
ing most thoroughly accomplished in
+ New England, Massachusetts and
/ Rhode Island being far in advance Of
other States. n
IN Pennsy lvania, the State League
X is making constant effort to induce mer.
] chanis to uso label bearing goods and
I ia doing much educational work among
I the shoppers.
# In Illinois, tho State League. has di.
reoted its best effort to tho discussion
of.the powor and duty Of the purchaser.
IE8as fyigorouBly supported the { fort
o#tha.oussom;s tailors to secure from
tHair employ orsthe merchant tailors the
obhgeapiaHsof Soomfortable tworkroohs,
thus aiding most effectively in theil
fsydltiagaiHst tenement houao manufao.
taYe IS, rs 81 S..
n Kentuoky, tho league is attempt,
ng;jlnS addiiionito tho usual work oi
/ mo Organization to. quietly ;fnd 'as just
a6fationiof:tltat pf0blem which lis. just
H9W 49nff6 Ming SO many -four South.
,SsH SessoS, thGiohildlebor question. y
ssf3xch sin% briof Is an outline Of tho
\ ,GloAaan1lerg, League, az It exists today,
"a sI's sat1ns Of ita work 10 aims and 70.
St.'sIhS hS league has now sbown us that
tsYSiD urgentrnetd d Of reform and holm
\, hhfstH Hnparhyfor taego H"W hite Slayes.' .''
aa; b9s FoVefdor4 Of Canada oalls these
t0iIera and tho question arisos how can
wojsa ihdividusla holp tkom? Does our
ordinary. buying OF things Garry with It
&fp moral resposibility2
Dove buy 80. az to inorease the
9rlasgooa,work, and sloaaon its bad