Wilmington journal., 1869-08-13
From the Boston Sunday Times, July 18.
THE FUTURE HOUSEHOLD.
HOW TO ECONOMIST FAMILY EXPENSES
The Mothers Paradise-Tiie Servant Girl
Dispensed wIth-An Enterprfsc Dessined
to Create a Great RevOlutfOu

The Cambridge Cooperative Housekeep-
ing Association is the name of Society
composed of certain ladies and gentlemen
in Cambridge, and its object, concisely
stated, is to do away with the inconveni-
ences, not to say terrors, Of modern house
keeping by means of the application of the
cooperative principle. In an address made
by Mrs. Charles P. Pierce tc the members
of the Society few weeks ago the pur-
poses of the Association are very clearly
and charmingly set forth, and the FEAST
bility of applying the principles of coop
Grafton to washing and cooking, as we'll as
the manufacture of cloth and hardware, is
made patent. Mrs Pierco says that in the
first place there are three reasons for the
formation of such an association which
must be obvious to everybody. They are:
First-That the cost Of food has nearly
doubled in ten years, and shows no sign of
decreasing !; but rather of increasing. Sc
cond-That, notwithsta 1ding the greatly
enlarged expense of feeding servants, these
do less work than formerly and demand
much higher wages. Third-That although
they do less work, and for more wages,
they do it worse instead of better, and are
more and more unwilling to be controlled
by their mistresses, and leave their place
ut shorter and shorter intervals, and for
less and less provocation every year. After
some moro reflections on the defects of the
customary methods of house keeping, she
goes on to explain at length her pian.-
Starting with the evident proposition that
it is cheaper for house keeper to buy at
first cost than at third, fourth, or fifth, she
shows that this can only be done by sever
al uniting together SO that they can pur-
chase at wholesale, and divide the goods
70 coll tln ,l1t L.,
the members of the Association at q GER
tain price, the profits to be divided at
stated periods. In illustration Of this sys-
tenn she reviews ct some length the pro
gress of cooperative societies in England,
from their humble beginning among the
WeaVers OF ROckdalc up to their stupen-
dons proportions to-day.
The object of the Cambridge Society is
first, the combination OF capital and,
second, the division and organization of
labor. They intend to have a stateroom
for provisions, q kitchen, q bakery, and "a
laundry ; and it is proposed to fix the price
of each share at $50. Mrs. Pierce makes
an ingenious calculation, and shows that
It costs every family of moderate size
$i22 80 month merely for the wages of u
cook and for the fuel she consumes in
cooking and she estimates that by means
oi tnG HLcHl tillS Gull 10 uOHo
at $40 month. Sac thinks that one
thorough cook at $50 per month and six
assistants at $l2 per IaOnth each can do
the cooking for twenty-five families, and
use five tons of coal who're twenty five are
now used.
The washing will be done at the corpo-
ration laundry at twenty five cents per
dozen, which is very reasonable price.
The meals will be sent to the varlons
households in what is known as Nor
wegian kitchen that is, wooden box,
lined with wool and felt, Which will keep
food hot for several hours.
The total subscription price t. enable a
family to oL JOY the advantages "f the store,
kitchen, bakery, and laundry. will be slOO,
and she estimates that 1t will cost from
$S, 600 to SIC, 900 to start the enterprise A
building will be erected near Harvard
square, and it is thought that everything
will be ready by November, so that the
Institution will be in thorough order at
that time. The subscriptions can be paid
in monthly installments of $40, commen-
cling on the 1st of August.
The establishment will be managed by q
committee of housekeepers, subject to tho
half-yearly supervision of the husbands,
who are directly interested in it through
their wives criptions. Cambridge is a
good place to start such an enterprise, as
there are so many students bOarding-hou
ses in the vicinity of Harvard square that
the landladics will be glad to enter into
the arrangement. The idea seems to be
practical, and we hope it may be success
fully carried out.