The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-12-10
WORK Of
WOMEN
Ter Civic Duties and
Their Scope
Discussed.

Before a large and intelligent audi
Miss Catherine Conan. professor Of
Economics at Wellesley, spoke yester-
day afternoon upon the civic oppor-
tunities of women. She presented mat
tiers which easily come under women's
attention in large and small cities
where their working sisters are busy.
She said it was womans duty to as
sist in lifting the burdens which the
yonen who earn their lfvelihoods have
to bear.
One of the first things which the wo-
men of Honolulu should interest them
selves III was the manner in which the
bread and poi consumed in their fami-
lies is made and mixed. It was their
duty to observe the conditions under
which both foods were prepared for the
consumer, and if the conditions de-
manded changes for the better, then
their opportunity in civic life was open
to them.
Miss Conan went on to say that
much that had been accomplished in
the large cities to tighten the hours
better conditions under which work
could be done, was due to the Consum-
ers' League, an organization of women.
1t began in Boston, and extended to
New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, San
Francisco and other large and small
cities of the union. The latest econo-|
mics, she said, hold the consumer re-
sponsible for the conditions under which
goods are produced. Whatever the
consumer wanted and was ready to pay
for would be provided by the merchant.
The consumer in Honolulu asks for a
certain thing which the merchants busy
themselves to procure and keep on
their shelves. The demand of the con-
sumner in the economic philosophy is
what determines the quality and vari-
ETY. of the goods displayed in Honolulu
stores. This indicated to what extent
the consumer held a power in the bust
ness community.
The Consumers League had shorten
ed the working hours of the shop girl,
raised the age at which children could
be employed, caused employers to pro-
vide seats behind counters, and done
other things tending to help the shop
girls. Then the League ascertained I'M
der what conditions ready clothing was
made and placed the facts before the
public. 1t ascertained that the sweat
shop system was inducive to the spread
of contagious diseases among consum-
ers and the League commenced a
crusade against this, which had the eff
feet of providing better conditions I'M
der which the girls should produce gar
ments. In San Francisco garments
which were turned out of Chinese shops
located in unhealthy easements and
stuffy quarters in tenements were high
ly injurious to the health of the con-
sumers and the Consumers League of
that city was now ascertaining before
buying, just where the products came
| from.
Miss Conan thought it the duty of
women in Honolulu to ascertain in
what shops garments were made here
| by the Asiatics, and if need be place
the ban upon such goods. This would
tend to change the conditions of produc-
| ton When Honolulu becomes a munich
pality the women of a Consumers
League should have an ordinance pas
sed governing the conditions of the
production of clothing.
AS to Saturday afternoon closing,
Miss Conan said the way was not to
actually employed in stores, but by
consumers, especially among the in
| fiuential and heavy buyers. If these
| said to the merchants: I'VE will not
| buy on Saturday afternoons" the mer-
chants would finally close their estab-
| lishments. No merchant feels, however,
| that he can close unless his competitor
does likewise. Miss Conan. believed
that the merchants of Honolulu, as in
the large cities of the mainland, would
prefer to close on Saturday afternoons,
and obtain rest as well as their clerks,
but the movement would have to be
general. Women who were consumers
if they studied the matter, would find
themselves in the position of their
brothers keeper" if they assisted in
preventing clerks from obtaining half
Saturday. Mrs. Brown, secretary of the
Y. w. c. A, said the Saturday closing
7