Consumers' League of Ohio

The Consumers League of Ohio was founded in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1900 by a small group of women active in a local literary society, the Book and Thimble Club. The League affiliated with the National Consumers League which had been founded in 1899 by Florence Kelley. Its purpose was "to further the welfare of those who make or distribute the things bought" and to this end all Leagues created "white lists" of stores which consumers might patronize, secure in the knowledge that the workers who produced their wares were adults, employed at a fair wage, and working in favorable conditions. League members also purchased only that clothing which bore a National Consumers League "white label" indicating that these items were produced in factories investigated and approved by the League.

During its early years, the Consumers League of Ohio pursued a similar policy in Cleveland, investigating bakeshops and dairies and producing "white lists" which were widely publicized. The League also used publicity to encourage downtown department stores to close early on Christmas Eve and on Saturdays during the summer in order that "shopgirls" might enjoy shorter working hours.

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