Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-13
Must Understand Conditions.

To aid in improving these conditions
| it Is necessary first, said Mrs. Kelley.
to make the American woman clearly
| understand laboring conditions. If the
hearts of the people remain untouch-
ed, the stomach may be appealed to as
a final resort. 1.-The American woman
today is too contented to accept what
she gets without demurring." Mrs. KEEL
ley added. "She goes into a store and
pays a stated price for an article, and
when conditions under which that
article is produced are dangerous to
the home then she is not receiving the
return value, minus the profit. for her
| money. But the American woman does
not complain. 1t is obvious she Is too
| willing to accept what is given her"
Mrs. Kelley explained the work of the
standing committees Of the Consumers
| League, which are going from factory
| to store investigating conditions and
marking with the official label all places
| that come within the qualifications of
| the leagues requirements
This label" she declared, "guaran-
| tees to the consumer that the food
| upon which it is stamped has been
made in factories which conform to
| the state law; which have been APP
proved by the league as clean and safe:
where girls under sixteen years Of age
are not employed; where there is no
| overtime work. and where work is not
given out to be finished by employees
| in their homes"
| Mrs Kelley traced the history of the
! league, and told of the causes of it's
| organization. She declared that it takes
great moral courage for the members
| of the league to visit factories, bakeries
and other establishments on their mis-
sions. and that credit is due these COM
mittees.
Necessity Of Enforcing Laws.
AS final result of each investigation,
she declared, the committee comes back
for more laws. While conditions can
not be remedied without legislation, she
pointed out legislation cannot have its
effect unless the laws which are enacted
| are properly executed. Back of the
| laws of the land restricting the in
| dustries of the country, she said, is
| needed moral conscience, which will see
| that the law is enforced.
In the thirteen years of our exist
ence," Mrs. Kelley concluded. I'VE can
not truthfully say that we have trans
formed industries or legislation in any
state, but the league has aroused q keen
sentiment among people about what they
shall eat and what they shall wear. And
the stomach is the one thing which can
be touched by appeals IL only the people
can be made to understand, and are
shown just what they are putting into
their stomachs and taking into their
homes"
| Miss Constance Leupp, vice president of
the District league, presided in the alb
sence of Mrs. Harvey w. Wiley. presi-
dent, and explained the object of the
meeting which was to provide hearing
for the league before the men and women
Of Washington. She strongly recommend
ed that visits be made to the exhibit of
the league at 1923 F street northwest,
where the work of the league is Illus
trated
DIR. Harvey w. Wiley Of the bureau OF
chemistry. in introducing Mrs. Kelley, de-
clared that the Consumers League is the
.'protagonist of evil" and is but one OF
the few organizations Of the country
which is not working for the benefit of its
members. He highly praised the char
acter of the work, apd declared that the
United States is 'shamefully behind
European countries, particularly Eng
land. in industrial legislation.