New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-20
WORK FOR PROGRESS.
MRS NATHAN, A SPECIAL HEALTH
BOARD INSPECTOR, TALKS OF
HER DUTIES.

Mrs Frederick Nathan. president Of the New
York Consumers League. who has recently oeeh
appointed special inspector Of mercantile es'ap
lishments by the Board Of Health. to serve without
nav explained her duties to a representative oI
The Tribune yesterday:
There is certainly no intention on my piit Vi
that Of the league harass annoy any mer-
chant 1 am simply doing the work that nave
done for the last ten years. when complaints nave
been sent to the league to me personally when
/ have received such complaints it has been my
custom to send them the Board of Health. with
a request for investigation Wearing the paose Oh
the department. l can now investigate them my
self that is all. 1t will save the time of the de-
partment for in instances complaints nave
been made by discharged employees and on lnVesti-
CATION have proved to he without foundation
ANY merchants who are complying with the pro-
visions OF the law will not only have no dislike Oh
Investigations by the department. but they Will
be glad to have others in the same business VINO
are violating the law compelled to do what they
do voluntarily The attitude of some of the mer-
chants the subject of inspection IN Ne"-l"lh
is a curious one. They to take 1t as per
sona refection-a kind of insult. In Boston. where
for twenty years the inspection of mercantile es-
Establishments has on with clocklike regularity
under the administration of Chief Factory lnspec-
tor Rufus Wade. the merchants accept 1t as mat
ter of course They afford the department every
facility and think of resenting inspection.
But Massac husetts is country ny ITSELF IN 'hese
things any way
For instance, when the Boston Consumers
League was organized. it investigated conditions
in every store in Boston. As result, the Boston
league found no need of establishing white list.
as the standard of hours and wages and the pro-
vision for the comfort of the employees Were al
ready better than the standard required by the
New-York league for place the white list
The Boston league calmly published a pamphlet. In
which every store Of any standing in Boston was
named, and its rules and regulations as to condi-
tions of labor printed in full The New-York
league has never felt that could do that because
of the antagonism which would be aroused among
the merchants.
I'm the main the New-York merchants have been
courteous to the representatives of the league but
q few have resented its formation. and have never
ceased 10 regard il with antagonsm. They have
said that the consumers had no business with the
conditions under which the employees worked or
under which the goods made. The only con-
Germ of the consumer. they said. as to style,
ouaItv and price of goods. From this standpoint
the no1,v of the league would of course. be one of
interference with other peoples business But the
1eap,1a takes the view that the store is semi
nubc institution: ii depends upon the public for
patronage: it appeals. at great expense. for that
,o-ronage II cannot exist If the public refuses
sc patronage Therefore, any section Of the shop
,,in., nlbljc has a right demand that certain
conditions should be observed as the condition of
IFS patronage. Why should store be more aVerse
10 drawing patronage by this method than by any
o,bar2 The league holds that the consumer Is the
Indirect employer. and that IN just so far as she
Of she is responsible Tor them
Indeed the employers are often prevented from
carrying reforms because OF the seIllSh or
thoiightless exactons OF the consumers.
.s>t0vy as 70 violations l found leading store
IN New-York since my appointment, with only one
SCAT 70 thirteen women clerks behind one counter