Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-04-25
SHOWS UP EVILS
OF SWEAT SHOPS.
Miss Florence Kelley ofConsumers'
League Presents Sad Picture,
HORRORS OF CHILD LABOR.
WrsI>Carameis nj One Cent Thou
ssnd-Can Earn at That Hate
About 90 Cents q Week.

Miss Florence Kelley OF New York
lectured on the purposes Of the Con-
sumers League yesterday and last
night at the Ladies' Literary club house
and gave her audience glmpses of con-
ditlons In Industrial concerns that were
sufficient to keep its interest well nigh
spell bound during her talk.
The plight of those who labor for
the great manufacturing concerns Of
the country was described in outline,
though no adequate idea, the lecturer
said, could be conveyed in brief talk
of the existing dcplorable conditions,
In great candy factory which she Wis
tied, seVen-year-old children wrapped
carames in tissue paper at a penny a
thousand, managing to earn with 10
hours day labor, about 60 cents u
week Other instances were given H.
Illustrating the inhuman penalties inn
posed on child labor In the great com
petitiye STRIFE Of the day, the cases
stated seeming almost beyond the
bounds Of possibility Miss Keley's
position as factory inspector both in
New York and Chicago, gives her ample
opportunity TO verify the facts about
these things, and her personal expert
ence has been such as to confirm the
huu 81
trial conditions.
A phase not often brought to the
notice Of the consuming portion Of the
public Is that OF the cleanly and health
full aspects Of the situation. Miss Kel-
ley stated that a great deal Of the work
OF manufacturers was done IN the tene-
ment houses under conditions tending TO
the spread OF infectious diseases. She
related several cases In which the In
spectors had found work beln6 done
for such houses as Marshall Field In
Chicago, and others In rooms where
patients suffering from infectious dis
eases were nursed by the same hand
that sewed the garment. In one room
a mother held on her lap child Ill
with malignant case OF scarlet fever
while she made cloak ordered by the
Marshall Field firm. In another place
man was found sewing upon an ex-
pensiye overcoat ohSered by q wealthy
Montana man from Marshall Field, and
in the same room lay man III with
smallpox The inspectors made bon
fire OF the coat. but had II not been
for their timely visit the coat would
have been sent TO Montana TO spread
It's faint Of infection. These, the lectur-
er stated, were but few Of the cases
which had come under the notice Of the
inspectors, II is to protect people
against such abuses, as well as 10 Sc
cure more humane conditions for the
toilers that the Consumers League
has been organized. The league
has a list of 20 manufacturing houses
which have been visited by the inspect
ors and found to be operated under
humane, healthful and clearly oondi-
lions, and with the hearty co-opera
tion Of the firms the Inspectors ar
ranged that the articles manufactured
by these firms should bear the label
Of the Consumers League, the label
being a guarantee that the articles are
made under right conditions, Every
consumer or purchaser Of goods may
thus protest themselves by demanding
the articles made by these firms, and
by so doing provide themselves with
goods warranted to be free from the
faint OF the sweat.shop and tenement
house infection Nearly all Of the large
cities have taken up the subject, the
chief bar against the spread Of the
being In the women, who are
the principal consumers and who mani
fest an absolute Indifference In regard
to the subject There is but one way
to do away with the sweat-Hhop evils"
said Miss Kelley, and that Is by the CO.
operation OF mothers and all other wo-
men IN demanding 10 know something |
of the places In which their clothes |
are made. When women take as in |
tense interest in the subject Of their |
clothes and food SIS they do IN the an
tiquity Of the pyramids Of Egypt and |
the house Of Pharaoh. we will be able |
to effect a material change" The |
trouble I'm the western states Is that |
not having the sweating system the |
people take the attitude Of Pharasees, |
and refuse 10 have anything to DO with
the subject As long as the western
cities will purchase the goods made
under the deplorable conditions des-
cribed without question, nothing can
De eHeCted IN the way or their sup
preston. In many cities there would
be one or two women sufficiently in
IN the matter TO devote them
selves to the cause. Mas Kelly spoke
n the efforts Of Mrs. Elmer r. Jones
In this line. and believed her jealous
work would be productive ~ good re-
lults. In answer 10 her questions Miss
Zones stated that several saltl.ako mer-
'hants are interested In the subject.
among them Cohn Bros, Il. &. VI. J.,
Walker Bros, X. X. Thomas and others
Ohm Bros, she stated were the plo-
,eers In carrying articles bearing the
abel Of the Consumers League.
Miss Kelley VIII lecture on the same
uhject tomorrow night and il Is
tated that a number Of leading mer-
hants will BE- present.