Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-27
AS ONE WOMAN SEES 1T
Why Are Not Certified Waists Made
as Attractive as Those uncertlHed.
Some Facts Concerning the En-
pioyment OF Women
BY SARAH ID. IOWRIE

WAS buying some silk shirtwaists for
- Christmas and I was puzzled at the dif-
ference in prices. Some that we're more cS-
pcnsive were not so attractive either in de-
sign or color as those Of a lesser price. The
quality Of the silk seemed about the same.
] asked the saleswoman about It and she
said:
'Oh. well. perhaps those expensive ones
are more carefully made than the others
There was q faint something In her voice
that arrested my attention for second. and
later in the day remembered it and wor-
dered vaguely what She had meant. 1t was
not until / looked over the three wrists that
! had chosen, nfter they came homo and
examined them attentively, that l under
stood. i had bought one Of the more ex.
'pcnsivo and slightly less pretty waists and
Two OF the very smart ones. The smart
ones had no labels on them, but the more eG
pcnsve one had a small three .cornercd one
stating that: This waist has been made
under proper conditions both in the work
shop and as TO hours of labor, wages etc,
or words 20 that effect.
In the silk waist trade. and indeed in
most of the garment trades for women's
wear. there are model shop conditions where
all the state laws are strictly adhered to as
to ventilation, sanitation, hours Of work,
conditions of work, etc.; and more than
that where by agreement between the shop
owners and the workers certain other condi
lions are adhered 70 regarding the machlne'
used, the accessories supplied. the pHy for
extra time, the extra pny for variations IN
patterns, etc. Shops where there Ia this
maximum of good conditions for the workers
have right to u label stating the fact.
WHAT interested nc was that the added
w cost in this case was about SO for the
certified waist. although il was less smart
and OF no better material and on the whole
not so salable as the others.
There was no reason why the certified
waist should not have been made In as Mt
tractive pattern as the uncertifed one In
any csSe It was unmistnkable that the good
conditions Of making il cost just S3 more
than the making Of the other. for it is to be
supposed that the shop took an equal profit
out Of both waists
Brought down TO its simplest terms, then.
IL the public wants goods mad" under good
labor conditions It has got TO pay the DILL.
T HAVE been listening TO Mary Mcdowell
L Of tho Chicago Settlement. lately. aud her
words have somehow hung in the air She
was asked here by the Philadelphia League Of
Women Voters with Miss Reilly as her host
eS6. and she spoke at tho City Club TO
grour "f picked women from the League Of
Women Voters the Consumers League, the
civic Club and tho Industrial Committee oS
tho !. w. G. A..
She was not speaking of labor conditions
IN genera in this country. but OF the 8, 600.
WV women In tho ntcd States who lrc
employed in industry. and of the 2OOO, ,O0n
girls nnder twenty. on" who arc wage carnCrS
In manufacturing plants. Most Of these str
just about ono month ahead OF $tarVatiun
That IS. most of these could run on credit
or on their family or friends for one month
ihat would be tho average. Some could run
longer. some much lc,E.
" ho"Vcr has not known what Il is TO he
Mttlln ,f,t L. ,,r L.,
mas escaped n very depressing and anxious
ana nightmsrish experience and may thank
hiS sthr% un,rSS the buck Of the experience
makes him unirnaginatIc and stupid toward
iho'" 'rho suffer from thrcaiNncd want.
MISS M"DOWELL'S father wa. an in
A't vcntor, and Inventors arc not rcn-
"rAlll rich mon, but ! fancy her ilnaglnGilon
nnd real 'n"wirIgo Of the pitfalls in thr
pain" ~ tAcs" who arc "lass"d a. laborr!s
r"'I"r rom HImn"lu% rHh"r than from ac-
tIal In"I of daily bread experience.
81" has friends who are aborrrS And
N"" I" ~" man or Woman who hasn't.
do NOT moan arQuAintnnrrs or cmploycS |
mean fri"nds-some one you can talk with
face to fnCr.
The other day ! heard n man say to
smother man whom no had Just met from tho
Middle West: '' '"N
"What do They. "nl! yon OUT there, Cover.
anI then nitsd States senator.
'''h' M'Il,' h" explained, "in my State
We don 20 much ON titles. guess M
WrStiI known by my first naInr''
Perhaps II Wc wiGrncd our ncauairlanrc
to know some of the girls who make our
shr'waIS1S and they wdr7ch theirs to know
som" ~ th" women vino wore tho blouse,
they made, VIC would bc morr interested In
II lot Of things about which wr arc either
ignorant or Indifferent or hostile.
One Of tho kindcst things l,,ut ,voa over
said If popular woman who counted many
great persons Among her friends was said of
her by charwoman when she remarked "a
IL" elevator Lam
II like that lady. She Is nice and com
mon.