The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-12
Awful Truth Concerning 1t Is
Revealed.
Chicago MiIIiners Tell the Bald
Facts.
'ROFITS ARE IMMENSE.
Costs But Two Dollars to Make
$50 Creation.
Those Who Do Work Want
More Equitable Division.

Chicago. Feb. 1.-TWO dollars for art !;
$50 for raw material and rent.
That, according to number of MILL
ners who met at Hull house yesterday,
is the composition of a modern SIS
headpiece for a well dressed woman.
The average man who incidentally has
paid for such a turban, gazing at the
same, has been inclined to reverse the
ratio, but Miss Helen Mahon, a milli-
ner. yesterday brought facts and fig
ureS to prove her case, and called upon
the thousand of milliners of Chicago
to rise up and form union
The labor on a $25 hat, from the
salary of the buyer in Paris to the girl
who sells it in the store. amounts to
ST. said Miss Mahon. The other SO
goes to pay for material and store rent
There is too much profit in this for the
Easter we will have our demands
granted and get more of this profit"
The formation of such a. union would
be a jolt to the foundations of society.
1t would mean that those socially
prominent but financially short would
have to appear on church parade next
Easter Sunday in made over hats or
stay at home. Under the new schedule
the only women in Chicago who would
be able to wear new hats would be the
members of Milliners' union, local %,
for the only result of the union will be
the increase of the price Of SIS hats to
So.
The man behind the hat appears to
be in line to get little more of what
is properly coming to him.
Reveals Secrets of Trade.
Miss Mahon, besides being a miIliner
and a member of the Hull House club,
lions that hedge her trade, aired the
grievances of all milliners before
meeting of the Women's Trades Union
league at Hull house yesterday after
ND Ire rad q NJ IA
the inner sanctum of hat affairs out
into the whitening light of publicity
The buyer. she said. gets about So
900 per year. The designer, in whose
is paid on the average $50
per week. The copyist, who expresses
the idea concretely, receives $50 per
week. The maker and prepaGer get
$40 and 81 respectiyely.a,Toge the
com bination can turn out eight SIS
picture hats every day. All of which
reveals the deadly fact that the build
ing of hat that deDriVes a man of
SIS is the result of an investment on
the part of the dealer of something
less than 81 for labor. say
Eight hats with profit of $23 each,
makes $1S4 per day, or $1,104 per
week of six selling dH9s, or T10 times
as much as the girl Behind the hat
dition that brought Miss Mahon before
the meeting. and that has given inn
petus to the prospective union of mil
liners.
A call has been issued for a meeting
to be held at r. G. Paterson's, S Madi-s
noon. Feb. 16. for the purpose of or
ganizing union of the local millinery
workers. and it is believed that the
will result in an organfza-
ton that will finally include all of the
3 200 milliners in the city.
Believe Time Is RiDe
Leaders of the movement point out
the strength of their position. They
call attention to the critical season of
the millinery business at the approach
Of Easter They urge the importance
Of their business at all times of the
year. and the immense range of effect
a tfe-up in their line would have all
over the city. Adjournment Of woman.
they claim. is the chief end of man,
and the ultimate purpose of all COM
activity. If the browning
glory of woman's adernment is re-
moved from the market, they believe
that one of the chief incentives of the
city's business will be removed, and
hat all economic affairs will lapse
INTO state of stagnation.
Strengthened by these convictions.
they are going forth to demand their
rights, with soft voices and clenched
They do not argue-much. They talk
acts and look far away. mysteriously.
I'VE are striking al the very foun-
cations of society" say the leaders of
he movement. I'VE mean, of course, /
society in it's better sense Can you
imagine a successful reception being
held by women in last years hats ?
Can you fancy large and enthusi-
lstic meeting of a woman's club If the
members have to trim their own hats -?
But women will not trim their own
hats. Besides, they can't And, any
way, we could prevent it, I think, by
going to the jobbers of materials and
them stop selling things to
anyone Of course, they could make
,ver their old hats, but who would ?''