The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-12-06
PROMINENT WOMEN ORGANIZE
BRANCH OF CONSUMERS LEAGUE

| a large number Of representa- tive Rhode
Island women gathered in Pembroke hall
at o'clock yesterday afternoon for the
| purpose of organizing a Rhode Island
branch OF the National Consumers
league.
The meeting was held under the aus
| pices of the Local Council OF Women Of
| Rhode Island, an association having a
| delegate membership representing 81 of
the leading educational, philanthropic and
| rcformatorv societies OF the state and OF
| the city OF Providence.
The meeting was the outcome OF the
work already done I'm the interest of the
Consumers league by a Joint committee
from thar body and from the Rhode ISL
ana Woman's club and the State FEEDER
alton OF Womens clubs of Rhode Island.
The members Of the joint committee are
as follows:
From the Women's Council. Anna Gar
lin Spencer, president-Mrs. Walter Stokes
Irons, chairman OF joint committed; Mrs.
James 5. Kenyon, secretary Of joint com
mittee.
From Rhode Island Women's club-Mrs.
George r. Baker. Providence.
From Rhode Island Women's club--Mrs
Francis Pratt PaNtucket.
From Pawtucket Womens club--Mrs
Elmer q. Hosmer, Pawtucket.
From Pawtucket Womens club-Miss
Lucy Lyon, Pawtucket
From State Federation Of Women's
clubs-Mrs Henry A. Ballou, Woon-
socket
From state Federation of Womens
clubs-Mrs. Pardon Tillinghsst Paw
tucket
From State Federations of Womens
clubs Miss Pond. Woonsocket.
From State Federation of Womens
citfbs-Miss Allan, Newport.
From King : Daughters-Mrs. George
IA. Corey, Fiskevlle.
From City Missionary society-AIrs. l..
:. Cheney, Providence.
Rev. Anna Garlin Spencer presided over
the gathering at Pembroke and called
the meeting to order shortly after 3
O'Clock. la introducing the subject which
had called the company together Mrs.
Spencer spoke I'm retrospective way Of
the preliminary work which had been
done 10y the joint committee toward the
establishments of a branch OF the Con-
sumers league in Rhode Island Mrs.
Spencer then. in a most logical way. un-
folded something OF the plans and aims
and the great good which she believed
would result TO the working men, women
and children OF this state, through the
beneficent work OF the Consumers league.
She then. in a most graceful way, pre-
scented Mrs Frederick Nathan of New
York The president of the Consumers
league of that state.
Mrs Nathan, by the way. II q woman
of q most charming personality and she
at once Won the entire sympathy OF her
audience, not alone because OF her per.
sopality. but because OF the appealing
way I'm which she presented the work OF
the league iu New York city, and the
a vFIt .xf fSfa In Ia
cities for the extension OF the work.
In beginning Mrs. Nathan told OF the
causes which led 90 the foundation OF the
league in New York n years ago. when.
she said. "Ihe sighs and moaps OF the
working women and children were hcard
above the noise and bustle OF that great
city This led TO an investiga ton of the
condition which surrounded women and
children in the factories, stores and
sweat shops OF New York
"Ihe Investigation she said. resulted
in meeting being held iu Chickering
hall New York, aud at that meeting n
was decided 90 form a Consumers league.
the predominant thought being to estab-
lish "a movement 10 awaken the dormant
sense of responsibility on the part OF the
purchasing public. because of the terri
hle conditions existing IN the sweat shops,
stores and factories Of New York.
THE next STEP she said was 10
produce remedy FOR these conditions
aud accordingly we went and asked mer-
chants for rules and regulations. aud in
Vestigatcd the sanitary and other condi-
tions, and thus We made up our first
white list which cOutaned but eight
names of merchants who maintained fair.
just conditions
vt this point MrS. Nathan outlined the
standards demanded 10y tho Consumers
league ~ New York aud elsewhere for a
Fair House as follows:
"a fair house l. one IA which equal
pay s given for work of equal value.
irrcspeCtivc Of sex. In the dcpa artments
whore women only are employed. in
which the minimum wages are six dol
lars per week for experienced adult work
ers. aud fall In few instances below eight
dollars
In which wages are paid BY the week
"ln which fines ~ imposed. are paid
into q fund for the benefit Of the em-
plovcs.
In which tho minimum Wages OF cash
eiris arc two dollars per week with the
same conditions regarding weekly pay
mcuts and nneS
~ fair house is one n which tho hours
from u. m 60 y. nm. with three-ausr.
ters of an hour for lunchl constitute tho
working dsy. and y general hslf-holiday
Is given on ono day Of each week during
az least two summer months
I'm which a vacation OF not less than
one week is eivcn with nay during the
summer season.
In which aii overtime - compensated
| for
In which wases ere raid snd the prom.
ieeS closed for the five principal legal