New-York tribune., 1902-12-14
ADVENTURES OF A LABEL.
The Steady Growth Maintained by Con-
sumers' League.

At a meeting of the Consumers League held last
week at the home of J. B. Clark, of the chair of
economies at Columbia University, PROFESSOR CIarS
was one of the speakers
Any organized body has effect out Of all
proportion to numbers. said he. because it is
compact and knows exactly what it wants The
first response of stores to the demand for goods
bearing the league label will be poor goods The
second will goods at exoTbitant prices But
wherever the league increases i!S membership and
patiently continues its demand. the stores Will
finally furnish Labelled goods Of all grades and at
all prices because the retail store exists for no
other purpose than to cater to its customers.
Mrs Florence Kelley gave a rather humorous
history OF the adventures OF the league label IL
was first granted 10 a New-England factory WElch
made very ugly. very substantial and very hgh-
priced garments for particular constituency En-
thusiastc first members of the league ordering
these garments stood aghast at their design Ths
next factory found worthy Was one WnlCh n1au55
that exceedingly fiimsy underwear of the kind
which sheds its buttons the first time IL IS worn-
This. however. was very cheap, and aPpeaIed 70
the factory girls OF Now England mill towns, %nS no
knew all about labels and were srsnch patrons St
league goods Meanwhile women OF weoItn % NH MIL
wanted to encourage these two factories tlS 49,
not bring themselves to wear the product OF eltSI
one were buying their garments and giving tneni
away 10 charity organizations Iof the'I 'N
Iact4iTs anoiied for the label This has continued
mill there are forty-three factories scattered over
the country among which can be found any gFdGe
and any price of women's white underwear oed4
There are now ffty-three groups Of women N
various States. pledged to wear the league Iaoetei
underwear With each of the ffty-three the proc
ess has the Women have peen en-
Unused and a league has been formed linen .
.'persuadfng committee has gone to the merchdiitS
10 persuade them To put in the labelled s s9els.
the footsteps of the perSuIdlnE commit
have followed the members. enthuSiaStlca .S ,Iy
manding league underwear before IL could ppSSlolI
be ordered Usually is astOnlShed anu
peremptory. and then clerks get huny- FlndliS,
after some weeks the labelled goods come 4nc o.
that time the enthusiasm has cooled and has 70
be all reawakened by the patient 'perSuading com
mittee" This process has been repeated So eN-
actv in such widely separated sections thdt tns
central office knows now just what To expect "neu
correspondence begins from new section Itte
league however. has maintained steady gr0Wu;
Women as far afied IS Minneapolis and Rlchrnohu
who come 10 New-YOrk shopping once year
carry in their card cases the white list CT w
New-York City League and COnt1ne their ShoA-ull-~
10 stores mentioned therein. The individual Shotp
per asserted Mrs Kelley, commonly regarded % ON.
as the mad deVOtee of the bargain counter. mas
been proven to have very active and tender , cor
science if she only understand how 10 exercise
il in her purchases. Twenty-six new members
fOined the league.