Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-11-10

BY redeftc d. NaSk1n
Did you ever think OF the risk you
run in using articles made in fac
tories or by people who work and live
under insanitary conditions, often suf-
ferinE from contagious diseases to
which you are exposed In the use OF the
articles? 1t issnatural for people to
be careless of the dangers which they
do not see. so the fashionable youth
smokes hts gold-tipped, handmade
cigarette Obvious Of the fact that 1t
may have been made by woman In
the last stages Of consumption, in
dirty room. foul with the diseased
breath Of other individuals
A few years ago, charitable wo-
man bought some little wooden dresses
and distributed them among some
poorer neighbors. A few weeks later
an epidemic of scarlet fever broke out
and 1t was found that the dresses had
been made by woman working IN her
tenement home. where three OF her
children were Ill with scarlet fever
One of them died during the period
when she was at work upon these lit
tie dresses. When the death occurred
the board Of health took up the mat
ter and an investigation was made,
but the sewing upon which the woman
depended for her living was smuggled
out and the contagion carried to the
home of every purchaser and risked
by each salesperson who handled them
in the store.
Because of thousands of incidents
similar to this, by which the health or
the consumer is constantly being risk
ed, a number of men and women some
IL years AGO organized The Consumers
League, having for its object the Sc
curing of adequate investigation or
the conditions under which goods are
made, in order to distinguish in favor
of goods made in a well ordered fac
tory" Since the majority Of employ
ers are almost, helpless to maintain a
high standard as to wages, hours and
working conditions unless sustained
by the cooperation Of consumers, the
Consumers League also proposes 20
educate public opinion and to endeavor
to- direct its force so as to promote
better conditions among the workers,
thereby securing to the consumer ex-
emption from the dangers attending
unwholesome conditions. The league
also endeavors to promote Legislation,
tending to improve industrial condi-
the interests Of the community de-
mand that all workers should receive
a fair living wage. that the goods
should be purchased under sanitary
conditions and that the responsibility
for some of the worst evils from which
the producers suffer rests with the
. consumer who seeks the cheapest mar
kets regardless of how the cheapness
Is brought about.
Campaign Of Education.
In this way the Consumers League
stands for the best interests of the
purchaser and the worker, and con-
tinuous campaign of education Is being
carried on throughout the country
Through the Influence Of the league
sweat shops and home work under i'm
proper conditions are being rapidly
diminished each year and, while the
= conditions of the workers are being
greatly improved, the consumer also
is benefited.
One Of the first matters to be taker
ND was the manufacture Of women's
underwear, which had been an espe-
cially sweated and unorganized trade
The league provided label to those
firms complying with their require.
ments as to labor conditions. Thi.
label indicates that the factory law.
Of the state have been compiled with
that the goods have been made and
finished on premises approved by tn
league, no home work being permitted
that there has been no overtime work
and that no children under 16 hav,
been employed. The label Is known
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, ant
each day new demands are being mad
for it, Sometimes these demands com,
all the way across the continent. Fo
instance, the merchants in Portland
received SO many demands for the la
beled goods, that they appealed to ,
factory in Worcester. Massachusetts
to use It. Consequently, this factor.
asked the Consumers League to in
spect its methods and grant a whit
"a Label"
ga The early attempts of the league t,
secure recognition Of the value Of thei
label were most painstaking. AS sool
as a local branch of the National Con
sumer's League was established in
community, its members immediatel
set about educating the merchants t
the value of the league label by goin
to the stores and asking repeatedly TO
goods bearing that label and refusin
to look at any without It, The Bryl
Mawr college girls were among tn
first to take the matter UP. and thei
example II still being followed by tn
students in colleges and privat
SCHOOLS, as well as women living 4
their own homes in towns In ever
state In the Union.
Parties 1t eryn Mawr.
When the league label was first pu