The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-06-29

the dough shall not be sailed with
the sweat from the brow of the baker
whose hands are embedded in the
sticky mass. Intelligent legislation is
necessary to gain this and also needed
regulation of other food stuffs. There
should be laws against exposing fruits
and vegetables to the dust Of the
streets, and against putting bug kill
ers directly upon berries intended for
market.
Recently the daily papers have
been telling us how largely candy Is
adulterated. This Is a question Of
moment to the home maker. But not
only the substances. put into candy,
but the conditions undre> whcih 1t is
made should be considered. Many
mothers regard candy wrapped in It's
sue paper as particularly pure and
free from disease but this very paper
Is wrapped about bon bors in tene-
ment sweat shops where germs and
dirt are rife.
too. Much of the sewing formerly
done at home is now produced by
outside work. Boys suits, once made
at home, are bought outright; UNDER
clothes, stockings, shirts, sheets, tow
els-who makes them nowadays? The
housekeper is concerned all the same,
just as much as when she did make
them. Many of these articles are d.
rectly finished in the sweat shop.
During the late epidemic Of scarlet
fever a charity visitor found a woman
In shop working buttonholes in
boys vest, while on her lap lay
baby very sick with scarlet fever. An
incident, this, little less girsly than
the story of the inspector who found
two children Smelling pecans in
three-by-six room in a tenement. two
years ago. They were piling the nut
meats in neat heaps on a coverlid be-
meath which lay their father nearly
dead Of smallpox!
The best housekeepers will try to
fight the sweat shop and it's disease
bearing products by buying goods
only at the best shops. But because
these shops do not manufacture their
! own goods, sweated products may
| creep in as in the case of an "im-
ported" hat at plice with a very
French name and prices to cores
pond. TIL roses on this creation were
traced to the patient work Of an in
valid child In Halsted street tene-
ment. The ballot alone, in the hands
! OF the homemaker, can guard her and
her family by electing men who will
abolish the sweat shop forever
Food, clothes and shelter are the
| chief material needs Of the home.
Since the greater part Of city resi-
dents%no longer own their homes. the
control Of shelter has passed over into
| public hands. New tenements and
| apartment houses are going up all
over the city. From the time the per-
NIT is issued for building, these struc-
lures are under municipal laws. There
are regulations as to fire escapes.
| staircases windows, size of rooms.
and of halls and passages. The wo-
man compelled to live ensemble in
stead Of solo fashion Is concerned
with how her house Is built as much
as when she spent hours over books
| OF plans. It makes great difference
! to her whether her children play in
light or dark halls. How the plumb
! Ing is arranged affects the health Of
| her household. Light and air-years
/ of experience have laugh her their
necessity. Yet not long ago there
was discussion in the city council
as to the merits of a proposed ordi-
nance requiring every Above to have
a window, The good housekeeper
would not have considered the mega
| tive side of the question worth in
vestigating. This mere incident
shows that for the sake of her dwell
ing house, woman needs the ballot.
She needs 1t, too, to make her laws.
The Chicago housekeeper watches the
daily bulletins of the pumping sta
tons. II she Is seeking good water at
Ia minimum Of time and expense. shs