The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-01-12
Co.Operatire Housekeeping,

Mrs. L. NJ. King has paper in the |
Contemporary ReVietD, wherein she |
solves the domestic Servant Cues
tion, and other growing puzzles Of So
ciety in two words, namely, "Co.opera-
tive housekeeping" The miseries Of
mistress and servants grow, she claims,
from the false position each holds in
the eyes Of the other. The servant
complains that she is deprived Of lib
erty that the mistress cannot in con-
science concede, and each misunder-
stands. Either servants must become
bona fide slaves, or mistresses must be
prepared TO do all service themselves,
or, finally, the whole system OF domeJ-
tic service must be altered and re-
formed. The 1rst Is impossible. The
second will be conceded equally i'm
possible. The reform lies in making
servants free workers, and its method
in "not making the home OF the en-
ployer the home also of the employed"
For the present isolated homes and sep
arate establishments must be substitu-
ted a system OF cooperative house,
keeping, with such n division OF labor
as shall make the servant entirely indie
pendent Of the will OF her employer
during a certain part Of every day.
Mrs, King wishes TO begin with two
large buildings, costing from 10000
to ESQ, 200 each, one for families having
incomes ranging from fl00 to f500,
and another whence houseworkers for
the former may be taken. The conied.
Grated families are to be served for q
certain number Of hours daily by one
set Of workers, then by another, the
servants being nobody's servants when
their hours arc over. This II is claimed
will OF itself insure q better class OF
servants by putting employment within
the reach Of good women who can spare
half day from their homes, and by in
viting higher grade Of women who
will no longer be debarred from enter.
ing service by the petty domestic
tyranny of IN isolated household. But
better service is to be further insured
by training.
Domestic work cannot be organized
in the homes OF today. The amateur
worker, whom her husband will not
have Other than an amateur, is in the
absurd position OF directing proies.
SIGNALS. A professional cook is the pro.
duct Of LIES study, and skilled
houseworker Is both born and made q
houseworker. Schools will not meet
the difficulty. There can DO no
schools OF cookery where there are no
dinners to be eaten. and no schools for
Homework where there are NO house,
holds" Two bars to the organization
OF domestic labor have been that men
wish to get the chief part Of their
housekeeping done for nothing, and
that homes have not heretofore been
associated. Tho first view arises from
the fallacy that comfort and luxury, the
ends OF wealth, arc not rs direct an end
as wealth. The association OF homes
Is without prejudice to such as do not
wish TO be associated, and in effect none
OF their business, for II affords the only
way OF giving technical instruction in
domestic work, each apprentice doing
whit she can do without loss or waste
until she has learned to do more. The
expense OF the best mechanical appli.
ances, too heavy for many private
house, can be met in the buildings OF
the association. Sanitary wants can be
more thoroughly met.
Mrs. King accepts the fact OF grow.
ing class separation as mere step in
the higher development TO be helped
forward rather than wept over, aud par.
ticularizes the social life OF women
which she is trying to organize on q
self.sustaining basis. As to children,
too, she claims the confederate home
offers solution OF the question OF
their education. Tho home will be n
nursery, kindergarten, and school
room, the division OF labor applying in
greater or less degree to all having
charge Of children. The nurses will be
ladies' skilled TO a certain degree in
medicine, and fitted to be companions
or guides to mothers. The children re-
main in the home and the visiting
methers become social circle OF their
own. The care will be Of the best, and
while the child has It's education no
mother loses her wages. For govern.
ment, the representative republican
form, each room-holder having vote,
which he or his wife may give. The ac-
knowledged danger is that when wo-
mems work is organized, men will take
it as they have taken everything that
can be done away from "home." The
organization must come, and with 1t
freedom or degradation for woman. The
safeguards are first, the nature Of do.
nestle work and second, the associa-
Tod bnnnn itac1f whnrnin man will 1anry,