National Republican., 1875-11-16
Wsnsa's work in xarops.

ALA3NNAlAAts
SIR; The question ofuomsn's work is Just now
rscsising such marked attention In this country
that 10 may interest your readers 70 know some
thing Of the true position Of the sex In Europe,
especially ss such widespread misapprehension
sxists among Americans on the subject. At the
time OF the war between Austria and Prussia, In
1se6, when the price Of living had reached 81
enormous raie, Mrs. Lena Morgenstern, together
with several other prominent ladies Of Berlin,
estsblished . kind Of restaurant where meals
could be had at the retail cost Of the materials
alone. This was effected By the purchasing in
large quantities, and these socaled voks kinehen,
peoples kitchens,) Of which there are now more
than o dozen in Berlin, have been from the FIRST
selfsupporting, the small proits arslng here
and there being used for the purpose OF starting
additional kitchens.
In the year 1878 these women, having gained
great experience and practical knowledge, under
took to solve the question Of how to prevent the
arbitrary increase in the price Of living, and with
this obbject framed what is known as House
keepers Association, having for its work the re-
ducing Of the prices, promoting palmer and more
the condition Of servants and encouraging more
practical and professional education Of thoir own
children. In 1874 the association consisted OF two
hundred and ifty members, and was an incorpor-
ated body. Monthly and semLmonthly meetings
suiced to bring the necessary business before the
general meetings were held In the City Hall, BY
courtesy of the common council.
The first meeting was devoted to the question
where and how to get cheap meal, and the equally
necessary one Of the utilization Of refuse matter,
and the discounts on provisions TO be obtained
ssm ser ss was
The bakers Of Berlin may be said to hold the life
Of the city in their hands, for there no family
country and they declared their intention, when
addressed, to bake no biscuits for less than two
cents'esch, ASSIGNING as 2 reason the change OF
lower classes. Accordingly, memorial was pre-
sented 10 the president Of the bakers association,
demanding, IN visw Of the reduction OF duties on
cent each. The discussion terminated BY the I'M
conditional surrender OF the bakers.
That important branch Of household industry,
the laundry, coming in for consideration, It was
ascertained that the cooperative plan would
work equally we'll there, and member Offering
the use of1 room, It was soon started on q most
On the I'd Of June, 1874. the association mum.
bered eight hundred families, and reported sl,o7o
: Although many dealers and merchants had
joined them, ana were anxious TO secure their
was Judged best TO establish q central store Of
their own, where provisions would be retailed to
members at wholesale prices, with an increase
snd the salary Of clerks, $3.50 per month"; Three
hundred dollars was decided on a. sufhcient for
the hrst purchases. This the simple initiation
fees, was the nucleus Of what has since become Q
In June the association adjourned for the sum-
time, time, @ accomplished . vast amount oi work. ~
In July the Central store was opened and two
clerks engaged.
eral other cities and 1t was decided
that the pr sident Of each branch association
should be entitled to purchase for his association
on becoming member BY the payment OF the
usual fee. This greatly extended the field Of
In October the association met for the last time
In ha ffvH Hall hat nla haw haq0nQ
small for their Increasing numbers.
The business Of the store had so augmented that
IVA. was iouna necessary 70 engage Two more e1efks,
at the third meeting, in the early part Of winter,
It had been decided to establish an Intelligence
office, Il was scarcely with the anticipation that
It would so soon resolve itself into the immense
proportions 1t soon afterwards assumed, and In
August itbecame imperative to increase the hired
force there also, and In addition, to solicit volun-
tary assistance. Miss Morgenstern and several
ladies giving few hoxrs daily to II.
So many dealers having Joined the association,
IL was deemed expedlent TO open bazaar In time
for the Christmas holidays This was accordingly
done, and in order to save the risk Of loss to the
ali risk upon himself The AFFAIR, however, proved
triumphant nuccess. The Empress and the
whole court attended its sessions which continued
from November Is until after Christmas.
At this time the membership numbered two
thousand families, and the cash on hand amounted
TO ESQ ssOo.44 To-day the association has reached
the enormous figure of six thousand families.
Certain laws enacted In 1870, with regard to SER
wants, being considered highly undesirable, o
bill for their repeal or modification was brought
before the Reiehstag (COngress) through the In
strumentality of Mrs. Paule, but owing to the
close Of the session the matter was not concluded
The intelligence Office In the short space Of eight
months had received applications from four thou
sand and sixty-three women seeking service, and
three thousand eight hundred and. sixty-three-
each of whom had paid the comparatively
trifing fee Of twenty -fve cents-had been sup
piled with places.
But the movement involving probably the
gIsaest rssponsibiii,y was the ssss9dsnmsns a Of
Its existence, the Increasing membership render
ing It impossible TO answer letters and questions
Ssnssern, to9es6er with Mrss PsIser, proprietor Of
the publishing house Of Peiser. Mrs. Gubltz and
mrs. Rosenthal, then carrying on job printing
tion pledging itself to pay 800 per annum for Of
hcial advertising. TBts publication not only
forms the connecting link between all the CO.
operative associations scattered through Ger
many, but Il is alse an educational organ OF the
highest order; the president, Mrs. Morgenstern,
contributing weekly editorials on all subjects
cognate to woman's peculiar province-as the
complete management Of infants, the proper
Arrangement OF all the details connected with
intellect int % iurniihinS instructive and encouraging
articles On her education and elevation, and
papers containing valuable recipes, chemical an
alyses Of foed and other branches Of scientific
This whole undertaking is the extensive work
Of womer, and has demonstrated practically that
CO-OpeIuIlOu ID tuo Ouly Oo1tc VI hhlOu " oeAAe
with any hope Of permanency. And Just here
let me say that the cooperative idea in Germany
10 In direct eontradistincion TO the system pursued
here, as It gives the widest circulation to its
weekly price lists and further advertises other
stores not connected with its association In paper
issued for this purpose. The central bureau OBJ
tains its supplies direct from the countries pro-
ducng them; thus, from China, its tea; its coffee
from Java; France supplies its wines; and Hun
gary its grapes, while the United States, each
wear, furnishes immense quantities Of rice.
Through the action OF our GranEers 1t is thus an
abled to supply the cooperative trade throughout
the Empire, and Its responsible manager hnds
adequate compensation for his labor in . return
to him Of two per cent. on all sales. To give you
Q further idea Of the Importance Of the movement,
may add that various firms have made offers
to build for the association cars, 30 constructed
that the exact amount Of coal, no matter how
small, ordered by Individual members can be con-
veyed direct to perchasert.
In conclusion, / offer these few points In the
work of the German women, hoping that the sug-
gestious they embody may be OF practical value
to like undertaking but just beginning In Wash
ington, and because, having the welfare Of my
adopted country 80 greatly at heart, earnestly
desire to add what may be OF assistance In the solv-
ing Of this vexed question Of "How 70 Liver