Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-24
ASKS WOMEN TO LOOK
TOCONSUMERS' LEAGUE
Miss Leupp Says Following Its
Precepts Would Better
Working Conditions.

II the millions of American women
would follow riSidiy the precents of
the Consumers League they would
better the conditions of all working wom-
en- within year. They would also ac-
complish within that time what the late
Carroll D. Wright, commissioner of la
Dor, prophesied would take hundred
years Such are the claims of Miss Con-
stance D. Leupp. vice president of the
CONSUMERS League of the District OF
Columbia, in an article in the current is
sue Of the Woman's Home Companion.
Miss Leupp points out the numerous
benefits which are being derived from the
work Of the Consumers League such as
making factories more healthful places,
making hours shorter for woman en-
ployes and preventing the spread of con-
tagious diseases through "sweated
clothes" made in the homes OF men and
women afflicted with tubercular and other
infectious diseases. Speaking OF work
Miss Leupp declares that none Of the
manufacturers who have signed up with
the league have found it necessary to
raise their prices"
Facts on Sweatshop Work.
Regarding sweatshop work, Miss Leupp
writes as follows:
Have you never bought a lace collar or
a petticoat, a wreath of artificial flowers
or q willow" plume, and vaguely won
dered, as you rejoiced over your bargain
how they managed to sell 1t so cheap?
The reason is. you see, that some other
woman, pressed by the necessity of max
ing a scanty living, has toiled long hours
in her tenement home in your behalf
Her necessity, perhaps. was the greater
because her husband was dying OF tuber-
culosis. She may have stitched and cared
for him alternately hour after hour, and
while she prepared the meals and did the
Homework her sewing lay on his bed.
perhaps he helped her with 1t now and
then.
Meanwhile no one, least of all the pur-
chasing public. realized what was going
on. The conscientious buyer from the de-
partment store who insisted on seeing the
wor1krooms in which his orders were filed
saw only the airy, well-nghted factory
where work began and ended at reason
able hours. How could he guess that the
hand-work on that dainty lingerie. the
sewing on Of buttons, working OF button
holes and ribboning, were done evenings
in dirty bedrooms and kitchens? How
could he know that the mysterious cpl
demic of scarlet fever that had visited
his town last winter he himself had all
unwittingly introduced in the Christmas
sale Of fluffy muslins from New York.
Precepts Of the League.
Following are the precepts of the
league as outlined by Miss Leupp:
II. The payment Of small annual dues.
usually one dollar. Dues are used for
printing and postage, to get more men,
bers.)
'2. resolution never to shop on Sat
urday afternoons or after O'Clock on
any day unless absolutely necessary.
"3. To do all Christmas shopping be-
fore December To-
"A. To discourage tradespeople from
making, deliveries after in the evening.
"5. To avoid placing hurry orders with
tailors, dressmakers and miliners.
"6. Always, when buying women 8
white underwear, to demand garments
bearing the Consumers League label