Newark post., 1913-06-11
HOW EVERY WOM-
AN MAY HELP
SAFEGUARDING THE FACTORY AND HOME

lea in the fight for safe and fair
conditions in the factories and
shops of the land is the ambition Of
the National Consumers League,
organized by an energetic little wo-
man of Boston about thirteen years
ago.
The "Woman s Home Compan-
ion" for June in an interesting ar
ticle by Constance D. Leupp puts
the question to every reader "Will
you make it the motto of your town
that there is not one minute to
lose -
The story connected with the
motto runs as follows:
The late Carroll d. Wright, while
Commissioner Of Labor i'll 1899.
received a visitor from Boston who
unfolded a plan by which the
sweat-shop industry with its injus-
tice and menace to the health Of the
land, might be checked. The Com
missioner listened patiently to the
plan. "That is a splendid idea, Of
course" he said, "but do you rea-
lie that to accomplish anything
by that method would take at least
one hundred years9'
cone hundred years!'' the lady
exclaimed. "Then plainly there is
not one minute to lose." She hur-
ried back to her home and organ
lied the National Consumers
League, which from that day to
this has labored in behalf of the
betterment of the working girls.
Their method has been so simple
that even the busy working women
themselves may share in the move
ment and no thinking woman will
fail to support 1t.
The weapon used is tiny label
whose presence on the garment the
shopper buys is guarantee that
the article has been well and clean
ly made by workers surrounded
with conditions in keeping with
the spirit that prompted the idea.
1t is estimated that there are to-
day in New York City more thon
one hundred sweat shop industries.
These have grown out Of the crowd
ed conditions in the tenemnts fol-
lowing the great wave Of immlgra-
ton that has brought newcomers to
our land by the millions during the
last twenty-five years. With this
congestion in the poorer districts
has come a class Of women, in many
instances the old or invalids, who
are glad to increase the income II
any way. This opportunity the
manufacturer, anxious to reduce
the cost Of production, has been
eager to seize. A manufacturer
owning small factory and employ,
ing half dozen girls to run power
machines and do stitching during
the day may turn out quantities oil
work in every tWenty-four hours
by following this method. The girls
going to their homes in the even
ings carry the underwear for RIB
boning or the men S coats for fell
ing. These articles are distributed
among the neighbors who work fal
into the night inserting ribbon
working button holes, etc, so thai
the finisher garments may be de
livered on the following day. The
manufacturer is in reality employ
ing fifty persons but paying fol
the rent, light, heat, cleaning, etc
for factory that accommodates only
six. Do we catch the secret OF th'
cheap garment over which we ex
claim in such surprise?
The conscientious buyer from tn
department store who insists ol
seeing the workrooms where tn
clothing is made is shown only tn
light and airy factory. He catche
no glimpse of the one dark crowd
ed room, which serves as bedroom
dining-room, kitchen and living
room in general for a family o
well and invalids. He does no
guess that the hand-Work and rib
boning has come laden with tn
germs from these dirty bedroom
and kitchens. How many epidem
les might be explained If he ha'
seen all the workrooms through
which the garments had gone!
The matter has proven a hare
one to regulate. The factory inspec
tor cannot force his way into tn
home, neither can the guardian o
the child labor law. An attemp
to pass laws to prohibit this tene
ment work, on the ground of pro
tecting the public health, was mad
in 1884. The bill passed the Ney
York Legislature, but was late
pronounced unconstitutional ant
void, and the result of this judicia
dnnisinn has been so far-rea chin.