embership shall be the approval by signature of
the object of the Consumers' League; and all persons shall be
eligible for membership excepting such as are engaged in the retail
business in this city, either as employer or employee.

The members shall not be bound never to buy at other shops.

The names of the members of the Consumers' League shall not be made
public.

Later, one of the ablest workers in this field, Mrs. Florence Kelley,
formulated a basis for every society of working-women, as follows:

I. To bring out of the chaos of competition the order of
co-operation.

II. To organize all wages-earning women.

III. To disseminate the literature of labor and co-operation.

IV. To institute a label which shall enable the purchaser to
discriminate in favor of goods produced under healthful conditions.

V. 1. Abolition of child labor to the age of sixteen.

2. Compulsory education to the age of sixteen.

3. Prohibition of employment of minors more than eight hours daily.

4. Prohibition of employment of minors at dangerous occupations.

5. Appointment of women inspectors, one for every thousand women
and children employed.

6. Healthful conditions of work for women and children.

The foregoing to be obtained by legislation.

The following to be obtained by organization:--

1. Equal pay for equal work with men.

2. A minimal rate which will enable the least paid to live upon her
earnings.

A little later, the statement which follows, became necessary:--

"Certain abuses exist in the dry-goods houses affecting the
well-being of the saleswomen and children employed, which we
believe can be remedied. In fact, in different stores some of them
have been remedied, which gives us courage to bring these matters
to your attention.

"We find the hours are often excessive, and that these women and
children are not paid for over-time.

"We find that in many houses the saleswomen work under unwholesome
conditions; these comprise bad ventilation, unsanitary toilet
arrangements, and an indifference to considerations of decency.

"The wages, which are low, we find are often reduced by excessive
fines; that employers place a value on time lost that they fail to
give for service rendered.

"We find that numbers of children unde