I recently received in the mail a copy of your company's "Code of Vendor Conduct."It serves to reassure the consumer that all is well in Gap production land, and that there is no cause for worry. Let's, then, examine this Code. u Section III Discrimination states, "A. The factory employs workers without regard to race, color, gender, nationality, religion, age, maternity or marital status. B. The factory pay s worker wages and provides benefits without regard to race, [etc.]" Yet in a Saipan factory, employees are not allowed to practice religion, nor have relationships, much less marry. u Section IV Forced Labor says, "A. The factory does not use involuntary labor of any kind, including prison labor, debt bondage or forced labor by governments." Again in Saipan though, an ABC News: 20/20 investigation stated, "some young Asian women have become virtual indentured servants on the island." Workers don't have the right to quit their job. u Section VI Wages & Hours says nothing about a "living wage," meaning a wage high enough so that workers can afford the necessities necessary to life, only about paying the industry or legal minimum, both of which are ridiculously low or non-existent in most developing nations. In Russia, workers are paid 11 cents an hour; in Honduras, 50 cents; and in Saipan, a little over two dollars due to the fact that it is a US territory. u Section VI Wages & Hours states, "C. The factory does not require, on a regularly scheduled basis, a work week in excess of 60 hours" and "E. Workers have at least one day off in seven." Yet in Honduras, the working days are 14 hours long, for six days a week, which is 84 hours a week. In Saipan, workers work 12 hours a day, seven days a week, which is also an 84 hour week. u Section VII Working Conditions mentions, "P. The factory maintains throughout working hours clean and sanitary toilet areas and place no unreasonable restrictions on their use." Yet over the course of a 14 hours day, workers in Honduras are permitted to use the toilet only twice. Also, this policy states the factory must have a "toilet area" but fails to require a toilet. Gap states that the Code "applies to all factories that produce good for Gap, Inc. or any of it subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates or agents ('Gap')." If that is the case, then why are so many flagrant violations occurring? In a letter to me, Emily D'Aniello of Customer Relations assures me that "garment factory working conditions and workers' rights are taken seriously by our company." If that is the case, why do you insist on self-monitoring? Why won't you allow independent monitors in your factories? Even with a lawsuit pending against you by the Global Exchange, you deny disclosure. If everything where fine, what is there to hide? In 1998, Gap CEO Millard Drexler made 47.1 million dollars. You, Mr. Fisher, are worth eight billion dollars. This year you will spend 550 million dollars on advertising alone. It is obvious enough to me that you can afford to pay decent wages, so why do you refuse to? Is your profit really that precious? I look forward to your response.