Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1911-12-08
BRATTLEB0R0 LOCAL
ADDRESS AROUSED INTEREST.
Secretary Of National Consumers League
Spoke In Centre Church-Leglslatio
Wanted to Protect Women Employees

speaker of national reputation and
exceptional ability, Mrs Florence KEEL
ley secretary of the National Con-
sumers' league, gave an address IN the
Congregational church Sunday evening
the meeting being one of the Institutes
under the auspices of the Brotherhood.
The congregation was large and the ad-
dress was deeply interesting and proht-
able. The meeting unquestionably was
the most important in the series thus
far. Mrs. Kelley's talk had local ap-
plication because of her remarks relative
to the employment of women In the cot
ton industry and her reference to its
Introduction into Brattleboro. she ola
not deprecate the fact that mill was
to be established here, but wished to
make the people realize that in the de-
yelopment of the states water powers
and the Introduction of new Industries IL
becomes necessary to secure legislation
protecting the women employees in the
matter of wages and hours.
President Clarke G. Fits of the Broth
erhood presided and made some remarks
before introducing Mrs. Kelley. He said
that the native stock of Vermont was IN
a decadent condition, as shown by tne
fact that the occupants of the penal anu
charitable institutions and asylums are
largely from that stock. 1t is believed
that one solution of the problem Is TO
to the inhabitants as possible and give
them at home the employment they seek
elsewhere. He thought we should nave
a care for the working woman and see
that she gets justice in the matter OF
wages and hours.
Mrs. Kelley, who spoke forcetully ana
with great distinctness, referred to the
arrival of the Christmas season and told
what the Christmas rush meant to the
girls in the department stores in the
large cities, mentioning in particular
girl who lived next door to her, ana VINO,
when the last news from her was re-
ceved a few days earlier, was at the
point of death by reason of overwork
She regarded it as particularly inappro-
pirate that the lives of children should
be sacrificed in celebrating the birth of
the Holy Child. 1t has been proven that
the minimum wage for which girl can
work in New York and keep well, unless
she lives at home, is IS a week Many
are forced to work for a less sum and
are obliged to resort to dishonorable
means of securing additional funds.
Conditions which obtain in tenement
house shops. where tuberculosis and
other diseases are endemic, We're men
toned and the speaker reminded the
women in the audience that not one Of
them could say with any degree of GER
tainty that any of her garments were
girls were employed under distressing
circumstances or in sweatshops where
disease abounds. The Consumers league
strives to create public sentiment
which, through legislation or otherwise.
will not allow such conditions to prevail
Only in that way can we be sure that
we are not parties to those conditions.
The legislation in New England on
these matters is considered by the
the league to be of the third class Mrs.
Kelley wants to see legislation of the
first class enacted in Vermont as has
been done in some of the Pacific coast
states.
In no state dominated by the textiles
is there a statutory eight hour day, even
for the children. 1t is in New Hamp-
shire, a cotton manufacturing state, that
we find a new law of 1911 for a mini
mum age for children in factories, out
of school hours, fixed at II years, when
all other northern states have adopted
II years as the minimum. 1t is the cot
ton industry which led the recent I'M
successful fight against the womens 81
hours bill in Massachusetts, and induced
Governor Blease to veto the appropria =
ton for factory inspectors in South Car
DINA.