New-York tribune., 1901-01-06
ETHICS OF SHOPPING.
THE "CHRONIC SHOPPER" WHO is UN-
SELFISH UPHELD BY MRS.
FREDERICK NATHAN.

Shopping is the least interesting OF the COM
mon occupations OF women. and yet by many re-
formers il is claimed be i'm such "demoralized
condition that leading club women have lately
taken up the subject for agitation.
Judge Choate once said, when man goes shop
ping It is buy something he needs right off. but
when shops she buys things that she is
sure she will want in the future
Aside from this class, however there is the inn
patient shopper. who finds IL bore, and who puts
II off until has a long list OF necessities which
demand attention Then there is the chronic
shopper" who regularly tours the shops. buys but
little but claims that she enjoys seeing the pretty
things If she can't purchase. This shopper
never takes herself seriously, and she is generally
thoughtless and selfish.
Mrs. Frederick Nathan, president of the Con-
sumers' League. of this city. interviewed on
the matter and gave her views TO a reporter for
The Tribune yesterday.
81 look upon shopping in ITSELF" said Mrs
Nathan. "as a harmless diversion. The shop TO
an ordinary is like the club or a saloon TO
a man. She often resorts to it 10 get away from
unpleasant environment. Th!s OF course Is the
woman who is not attracted to libraries picture
galleries for diversion, the resourcefu woman
The proprietors themselves do not object to the
chronic shopper and they claim always that
it is pleasure 20 show goods, for frequently the
shopper becomes buyer in spite of herself. /, for
there are of this class the more of the employed
wll De necessary. Mark you, / think she should
conine her tourings TO such seasons OF the year
When the stores are less crowded and she should
never ask 10 be shown goods near closing time.
1T used TO be the CUSTOM continued Mrs.
Nathan. for women TO shop every day: but now
adays the average woman is too busy and. In fact
she need not DO II at all, for there are
professional purchasers, who Will attend IL and
charge nothing for their services.
II CONSIDER that every purchaser should feel
as 10 further the welfare of those who make and
sell the goods she buys. Women however, are
now realizing that individual actions have vital
relation TO the welfare misery of the co,nrnu-
nifty in which they live. and that they owe as
much responsibility In their shopping as they do
No one Willingly would buy stolen goods
and I'm the same way they would avoid SIN ag ggIed
goods. and so our cCnsciences must be aroused 10
other duties How few of realize that every
time spend money actually helning ia
make something for good evil? II one buys
its place, and is thus disseminating low
literature. There are entirely too many careless
buyers.
'aThen, too, l believe that no woman should e,ter
a shop to purchase after o'clock I'm the dav
'sBut would not that seriously Interfere with the
perhaps ends at 3 o'clock?" Mrs. Nathan was
asked.
.'No. for, as a rule. a. woman who is employed
get hour off occasionally for shop-
ployes would be able to get away by O'Clock
Theoretically the shops close at s. but II IS often
and after when the employees leave for home and
this necessitates their working seventy hours or
more week. The law requires that women under
twenty-one and boys under sixteen shall work but
season, but this IS violated all the time, and I
really think the shoppers, more than the employ
ers are TO blame for IL. The ethics of shopping
fear. I'm very demorazed condition"