The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1901-05-08
A GOOD PAPER
Read Before tho Federation OF
Woman's Clubs
RECENTLY IN oReENviLLE.
The Consumers League" and
What II Is Doing TO Help
Women and Children
Wsgs Farmers
Wsgs Farmers

We publish below paper read be-
fore the State meeting of the Fedora
tion Of Woman's Clubs recently held in
Greenville by Mrs. Calvert, talented
Spartapburg woman:
Ten years ago, the Women's Work
ing Society of New York ipaugurated q
movement in the interest of the women
and children employed 10 the retail
stores of that oi,y. Their investigation
proved that the working hours were ex-
cessive, that overtime was not paid for,
fines were exorbitant, wages were low,
children under fourteen we're employed
contrary to law, and all sanitary and
physical conditions were unnoticed
Such surprising conditions were found
to exist, that public appeal was made,
which resulted in the consumers League
of New York city. Some time after
ward, State League was organized,
and 80 confident and persistent have
the workers in the movement been, that
now there are leagues in eleven States,
all united under The National Con.
sumer's Lesgue.s
The word ''consumer" here, for want
of q more specific term, is used as
A consumers league, or league Of
buyers is an association of persons,
who purpose to do their buying in such
ways as will better the conditions Of
those who make and those who distribute
the things bought.
Ip the ten minutes limit allowed me
by our president, can merely outline,
first, the teachings and principles of
the league, and second it's practical
aims as spilled to individual effort.
The general principles as stated in
the constitution are:
1. That the interest of the oommu-
nifty demands that all workers should
receive fair living wages.
2. That the responsibility for some
of the worst evils from which wage
earners suffer, rests with the consumers
who persist IL buying in the cheapest
market, regardless of how that cheap
ness is brought about.
3. THAT it is therefore the duty Of
consumers to find out under what con
ditions the articles they buy are pro-
duced, and to insist that these condi.
tion shall be decent, and consistent
with respectable existence on the part
Of the workers.
- TheSiumudiate sim 81 cne leagl. Is
fret, to extend among all classes Of
mercantile houses the com nendable
conditions now existing in the best; and
second, 10 abolish the sweating system
this last beir g the special task of the
National League.
The league practically applies these
principles by promoting the standard
ola Fair House, and White list by the
use of Consumers League Label, and
by promoting more humane labor laws.
The advisory Board and various com.
mittees work continuously with the
factory inspectors and by patient in
sietence, succeed In some measure in
having the labor laws enforced.
Their standard of fair house regu
lates the wages, woi king houses. fines,
holidays, vacations and physical con-
ditions of all employees. The white
List is published list Of all retail
houses, which conform most closely to
the standard of fair house.
The Consumers League label is their
trade mark, as it were-snd is used to
enable the purchaser to distinguish go
ments made in factories approved by
the league from these made under other
conditions.
The National League, leaving the
local organizations to adapt such lines
of special work as seems most needed in
Its locality, 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 the label
and most largely to the education of
purchasers by means of lectures, litera-
ture, and organization. Twenty. two
factories have adopted the use of the
isbel-and glance at their names is
convincing proof that the very best
goods are made by them.
The work Of creating q steady de-
mand for label goods devolVes upon the
State leagues, and upon the effort of
individual me embers. This work is be-
ing most thoroughly accomplished in
New England, Massachusetts and
Rhode Island being far in advance of
other States.
In Pennsylvania, the State Lesgue
is making constant effort to induce mer.
chants to use label bearing goods-and
is doing much educational work among
the shoppers.
In Illinois, the State League has di-
rected its best effort to the discussion
of the power and duty Of the purchaser.
1t bas vigorously supported the effort
of the custom tsilors to secure from
their employ ers the merchant tailors, the
concession of comfortable workrooms,
thus aiding most effectively in their
revolt against teDeme mt house manufac-
ture.
In Kentucky, the league is attempt
ng, in addition to the usual work of
the organization to quietly fiId a just
solution of that problem which is just
now confronting SO many of our South.
erD States, the child labor question.
Such in brief is an outline Of the
Consumers League, as it exists today,
an outline of its work its aims and re.
sponsibilities.
The league has now shown US that
there is urgent nee d OF reform and help
and sympathy for these white Slaves, -
as the Governor of Canada calls these
toilers-snd the question arises how can
we as individuals help them? Does our
ordinary buying of things carry with it
any moral responsibility
Do we buy so as to increase the
worlds good work, and lessen its bad
work?
4 Within the last few years, social
4 economists have devoted much timo to
the question of consumption. They
emphssize wealth using as fully as they
do wealth making, aud the text books
bow teach in natural sequence prOduo-
lion, distribution and exchange.
They lay emphatic stress both on the