Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1934-09-06
Women Urge Label
To End Sweatshop

Women interested in the complet,
abolition OF child labor and tn.
sweatshop from the needlework In
dustry have launched a nationwide
campaign to regiment consumer
interest behind the MIRA garment
label
Mrs. Franklin ID. Roosevelt heads
the committee, which has ON it,
membership representatives OF the
| National Council Of Women, Junior
League. the League OF Women Vot
ers. and many other of the country's
leading organizations
The newest recruit to the move
| ment Is the first lady OF Montana,
Mrs. F. III. Cooney. Mrs. Cooney
points out that NO matter what the
political faith or inclination Of wo-
men, the anti-sw eatshop garment
label OF the MIRA is a thing upon
which all can agree
Il regard the little blue eagle gar
ment as a boon to the consumer as
well as the needieworker.' said Mrs.
Cooney. 1T makes it possible for us
to know what we are buying. II is a
badge Of honor on all decently made
coats and suits and other wearing
apparel"
Mrs. COoney makes a plea to the
women OF Montana to look for the
label in all the clothes they buy. not
only for the sake OF the workers in
the industry. but for their W sakes-
mo thinking wOmen wants to buy
clothes that have been made at too
great a human lost to the worker
she said. "As a safeguard to her
family's health she wants also to be
sure that every garment she and her
husband and children wear is made
under sanitary conditions
Asked whether there is any rela-
ton between the cost OF the garment
and the label. Mrs. Cooney said:
Il am glad to have that point
raised. Women with meager incomes,
who are having a hard time to make
ends meet these days, may be fear
full that the garment label will In
crease the cost OF the clothes they
buy. This is not necessarily SO. l am
assured by the Women's Advisory
AQU61llLttC III IuG ItAllDIdl udIl z
Label Campaign, which is headed by
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, that it
is possible to make an inexpensive
garment and still observe all the reg
ulations as to hours and wages and
decent working conditions laid down
by the Codes. But you cannot know
that this is true OF any given gar
ment unless 1t bears its Code label"
The label campaign vas inaugur-
ated ON October 18th or last year,
when Mrs. Roosevelt sewed the first
label OF the Coat and Suit Code into
her winter coat at an impressive
ceremony. Since then labels have
been put In mems and boys clothing,
dresses, infants and children's wear,
knitted outerwear. and many other
types Of wearing apparel 1t lis issued
only to those manufacturers who
sign a certificate OF compliance. In
follow. Men familiar with the needle
work industry. normal output Of
workers, capacity Of machines. and
payrolls, are alert for the slightest
semblance OF violation They guard
the label jealously. Unless it is 30
guarded it could very easily cease
to be the badge OF honor and become
a racket
The Committee maintains national
headquarters in the office of the Coat
and Suit Code Authority. 1872 West
31st Street, New York City.
Mrs. COOney urges the men and
women OF Montana to let the mer-
chants who are observing the label
regulations know that they are con-
scious OF the labels In the clothes.
Look for the label and distrust all
garments in which You do not find
IT," she said. Protect the men who
run your stores. against the viOlat0rs,
and let them know that you appreci-
ate their strict observance Of the
laho1