Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-05-02
The National Consumers
LenUHe.

League.
When the invention OF machinery
began to take out Of our homes many
industries, it took away from our per-
sonal contact the workers who made
the things we use. 1t also took away
from US opportunity Of knowing first
hand the kind of things we use. In
brief, wall was set up between the
two great world problems, the Pro-
duction, or making of things, and the
Consumption, or using of things. II
one stops to think, it becomes clear
that in normal times at least, the vast
bulk Of what is produced in the world
is used in the homes of the world.
Hence women are the consumers of
the world in so far as they have the
larger part of the administration Of
the homes of the world.
Over in England some twenty-five
years ago, and here in America a
year later, groups of. people became
aware of the increasing gulf between
the maker and the user. The user or
purchasers tries to get her moneys
worth" of what she is buying; but
feels no interest in the problem be-
yond that point. These groups Of
people who were interested in the
worker felt that Mrs. Smith or Mrs.
Jones or Mrs. Brown, who buys a
waist or suit or dress as cheaply
as she can, has no right to buy that
article if it is cheap, because the
worker who made it worked in an
unsanitary room with inadequate
wages. In other words, our response
bility does not stop with getting value
received, it goes back to the making
of the garment. These interested
people, headed by Mrs. Florence
Kelly in the United States, united un-
der the name of the National Con-
sumers' league.
The Consumers league has as its
general interest the lettering Of all
working conditions both in factories
and retail trades. They have for their
special ten-year program. as outlined
by Mrs. Kelly two years ago, the
study OF the labor turnover, or chang
ing OF positions in industry, with a
view to reducing the turnover; the
minimum wage; the short working
day, and longer education of the young
worker. Most large cities have local
branches which study special trade
and factory conditions in the locality,
for instance the Saturday half holt
day in summer, sanitary conditions in
local stores, etc. Omaha has no To-
cal branch, though there was one for
a short time.
The National league turned its at
tention first to the white goods trade,
for in that industry were bad condi-
tons Of sanitation and low wages. Its
method is very simple; at the invita-
ton of manufacturer the league in
vestigates the condition of the
factory, its hours of work, its payroll
and the ages of its workers (no child
labor is tolerated.. If the factory
meets every requirement the firm is
entitled to mark all of its goods with
the Consumers league label. The la
bel is printed on bit of tape usually
and sewed onto the garment. 1t may
be recognized easily; it consists of a
circle with short broad wedge at
tached at either side. In the circle
are the words, National Consumers
League, Official Label, Registered;
in the right hand wedge, use of La
bel Authorized After Investigation;
in the left hand wedge, MADE Under
Clean and Healthful Conditions"
Several Omaha firms carry white
goods bearing the label. So far as I
know, only white goods or undergar-
ments carry the label.
If the league has been of benefit to
the industrial worker in the twenty
FIVE odd years Of its existence as it
undoubtedly has, it has also served the
manufacturer and the general public.
The honest manufacturer, who wanted
to put out decent product, made by
people who were paid living wage,
has been aided in finding a market for
his article, for there are few people,
pitifully few. who buy Consumers
League products wherever possible.
The general public has been helped,
for better product means safer
product. No matter how cailoused
some of us may be to the "other fell
low" we scarcely relish wearing the
products of sweat shop labor. ! have
been told, that at one time most of
the evening cloaks made in Chicago
had to go through the hands of a dry
cleaner before they could be sold, for
they were made under such unspeak-
ably filthy conditions that the light
fabrics were. always spotted in the
making. 1t is sometimes difficult to
know what to do even if one has the
honest desire to buy only goods from
reputable firms. The range of labelled
garments is so small; and there is no
local branch to undertake special in
vestigations. Certain things may be
done, however. Omaha is not so large
but what we may have personal
knowledge of our retail firms; and it
is fairly safe to say that reliable firm
will not handle goods put out under
A n