The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-26
SAVES ONE.FOURTH
Cooperative Housekeeping as Tried
at Sioux City Success.
SERVANT GIRL PROBLEM SOLVED
Saving-Other Union Kitchens
to Be Started.
Special to The Journal.


Sioux City, Iowa, May 26.-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 house
keeping the head of the family will save
onefourth of the cost of satisfying ap-
petites. The Parkside Cooperative House
keeping association, organized in Deem
her, has cost each of the members an av-
erage Of $2.35 week, and saved 81 cents
week. This amounts to a saving of
$500 for each in the twenty weeks. SO
the association has found it's plan will
mean an annual economy to family Of
four members of $17S.4S.
This unique union Kitchen was the first
of it's kind in the United States. But SO
successful has it been that another assoc
citation has been organized in the Rein
hardt fats, and two more will be formed
in Morningside to begin next Septem-
beT. Following the example of the Sioux
CITY plan 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 re-
Gently taking their meals in specially
constructed building.
The co-opera tive housekeeping plan sue.
cessfully solves the servant girl problem,
relieves the housewife of all the worry
and Ia Dor of experimenting the prepara-
ticn of three meals day and saves the
head CT the family. fourth of the cost.
All of the members Of this association
live within a block Of the home of Charles
Senift, and there they meet to take their
meals at two large tables. Three rooms
are rented from Mrs. Senift for $40 a
month. including light and fuel for all
the rooms, except the kitchen. The house.
keeper is paid 81 a week and board, and
two assistants are paid 81 a week and
Thn five 1,
committee that makes out the bill Of
fare each week. and a buyer is chosen
for two weeks, having as assistant his
VIE, or. II single, some other mans wife.
The congeniality Of the members is Sc
cured by requiring a unanimous vote be-
fore new member is admitted
The association buys its food from re-
tallers. but the purchases are in large
quantities, SO the association Is given
practically wholesale rates. amounting to
saving of 15per 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 pads 81 a week It NAV be-
assumed the five families would spend at
least SO "a week each for a servant, to-
gether paying SIS; adding the 81 received
by each OF the assistants to the salary
or the cook. the families save s6 a week
oy pooling. The Observation-Disclosures the cook
and assistants board-two less. than would
be boarded if 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 amounts to "a cents
weekly for each member, or S5O4 A. week.
for ALL
The items of economy for the twenty
one people weekly then are as follows:
.s \ -sF. .4 Amount
~ Saved
ruel .................. 81 50
SERVANT wages Observation-Disclosures. 600
servant poard OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 400
Fooa .....'............ ............. $40
Total