St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-12-03
Consumers League.

The lecture given on Tuesday evening
of last week at Athen9um Hall by Mrs.
Florence M. Kelley, under the auspices of
the Consumers League, was a decided
success. Mrs. Kelley is corresponding
secretary of the National Consumers
League, and spoke out of very wide
experience She began BY describing the
way in which the union came into exist
euce. About a dozen years ago a small
number OF ladies in New York considered
together ii it might not be possible to
use their influence to improve the con-
dition of the sales-people, especially the
children employed in the great depart
ment stores at the Christmas SEASON.
From this interest, which gradually
deepened and intensified, there came the
further attempt to try to use their in
fuence as consumers to have The repre-
sentative merchants of New York provide
goods that were mace under healthtul
conditions, and that could be used with
out fear OF contracting diseases impaired
TO them in their manufacture. They
found several prominent traders who
were willing TO cooperate with them to
secure these improvements, but the diff.
Guilty was to find goods to supply the
demand, that were known to have been
made under satisfactory conditions. So
it was found that attention must first
be given to some line of goods and that
OF muslin and cotton underwear Tor
women aud children was selected. An
organization was effected by these ladies,
whose interest had increased with their
Investigations and Mrs. Kelley was sent
out to find by personal research if there
could be found factories manufacturing
such goods under conditions that could
be commended.
The conditions sought for were proper
sanitation, reasonable hours of labor,
not exceeding ten, no employment of
children and proper wages. 1t was felt
that cotton and muslin underwear, being
worn next the body shonld be as tree as
it was possible to have it OF that which
was likely to contaminate and spread
disease. Wien factories were found that
fulfilled the conditions, they were urged
to place a label on their goods, that
should be evidence that they were accept
able to the members of the Consumers
League, and the League on lis part
pledged itself to create demand for such
goods. They found thas many OF the
first class stores in New York, Philadel.
phia, Boston, Chicago, etc. were glad to
accede TO their request, so that now these
goods, manufactured under clean and
normal conditions, are very largely on
sale at prices that put them within the
reach Of all. Mrs. Kelley commended
very strongly two such factories in Yer
mont. 1t is a part Of the plan OF the
National Consumers League to continue
the work until it is able to improve the
manu- acture OF all kinds of wearing APP.
parel, and also to be able to influence the
preparation OF much OF our food supply.
MIS-. Kelly declared that the greatest
hlndTanCe to the work was the lack of
interest on the part OF the general pur-
chasing public IN the matter. Too few
women care to put themselves to the
trouble OF demanding goods that can be
guaranteed as having been produced I'm.
der conditions that insure reasonable
comfort and sanitary surroundings for
the workmen. The prime object of the
League, therefore, is to create public SEN
timent that shall make itself elt every
where, as the only means thet shall
finally Danish the sweating system in
the manufacture Of clothing and the
other necessities of life. Mrs. Kelley's
elaborate presentation, of which this is
only a sketch, was most interesting
throughout and worthy of a much larger
hearing than it received.