Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-06-05
COOPERATIVE
HOUSEKEEPING
TRIED IN SIOUX CITY-IT PROVES
SUCCESS.
SERVANT PROBLEM SOLVED
Food Bought in Quantities At
fords Saving-and Great
Economy in Fuel Is Allowed
Other Union Kitchens to Be
Started.

Sioux City, Iowa, May 31-Twenty-
one residents of the fashionable
suburb of Morningside have lived
now twenty weeks in defiance of the
servant girl, and have discovered that
by cooperative housekeeping the
head of the family will save ona-
fourth of the cost of satisfying ap-
petites. The Parkside Cooperative
Housekeeping association, organized
in December, has cost each of the
members an average of $2.35 a week,
and saved 81 cents a week. This
amounts to saving of 1920 for ach
in the twenty weeks; so the associa-
ton has found it's plan will mean an
annual economy to family of four
members of s17S.4S.
This unique union kitchen was The
first of it's kind in the United States.
But so successful has it been that an
other association has been organized
in the Reinhardt flats, and two more
will be formed in Morningside, to be-
gin next September. Following the
example of the Sioux City pla l,
fifteen families of Marion, Ind, living
On Spencer avenue, the most fash
ionable in the city, have formed a CO
operative association, and have begun
recently taking their meals in a
specially constructed building.
The cooperative housekeeping plan
successfully solves the servant gi:l
problem, relieves the housewife of ali
the worry and labor of experimenting
the preparation of three meals a day
and saves the head of the family a
fourth of the cost. All Of the mem
bers of the association live within q
block Of the home of Charles Senift.
and there they meet to take their
meals at two large table. Three
rooms are rented from Mrs. Senift for
$40 a month, including light and iuel
Tor all the rooms, except the kitchen.
The housekeeper is paid 81 a week
and board, and two assistants are
paid 81 week and board. The five
women of the club form a committee,
that makes out the bill of fare each
week, and a buyer is chosen for tTo
weeks, having as assistant his wife,
or, II single, some other mans wife
The congeniality of the members is
secured by requiring unanimous
vote before a new member is ad-
mitted.
The association buys it's food from
retailers, but the purchases are IN
large quantities, SO the association is
given practically wholesale rates.
amounting to a saving of Is per cent,
The fuel costs no more practically
than in one family, meaning weekly
economy of $3.50. There is but one
cook for the association, and, while
she is paid 81 a week, it may be as
sumed the five families would spend
at least So week each for servant.
together paying SIS; adding the 81
received by each of the assistants to
the salary of the cook, the families
save Sc week by pooling. The as
sociation gives the cook and as
sistants board-two less than would
be boarded il the same members
were eating on the old plan-so $3.50
weekly is saved in this way. The Is
per cent. cut in the prices of food
to "a cents weekly for each
member, or s5.04 week for all.
The items Of economy Tor the
twenty one people weekly then are as
follows: