The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-05-23
The Important Subject of Scientific
and Practical Holnemaking Given
Its First Adequate Presentation at
General Federation Biennial -Wom-
en- Determined to Give Subject Due
Prominence.
Correspondence Of The Journal.

correspondents OF The Journal
st. Louis May 2s.-By an amendment to
the bylaws. the ballot box and the Austria
Ian system Of voting for Officers was to be
adopted at this session of the General
Federation Of Womens clubs Anticipat-
Ing this event. Minnesota came prepared
to present a suitable ballot box to the fed
Grafton, and this was most gracefully done
this morning by Mrs L. p Williams of
MINNEAPOLIS The box was prepared by the
boys manual training department Of the
minneapolis Central High school, and is
OF handsomely polished oak with brass
decorations In presenting It, Mrs. Viii
liams said that this method would not
only maintain the dignity Of the fedora
ton, but the oak material OF the box
would typffy the loyalty to a common pur-
pose by organized effort
on the platform, guarded on either side,@
sentinel-Ike, by dwarf pines, stands the
banner of the federation. Conspicuous on
the pale blue ground is the motto, Unity
IN Diversity. While all Of the subjects
nave been l1stenedfto attentively and with
general interest and the discussion follow
ing has given chance for the convention
to see who's Who" the convention woke
to enthusiasm over the subject Of the
morning, Household Economics" Among
the distinguished speakers were Mrs. A.
=. Neville OF Wisconsin, chairman; Mrs.
Nellie Kedzie Jones Of wisconsin, Cana
dian representative and member from
Maryland. Whether under the name of
domestic economy or social science, the
vital subject Of home making has proved
most absorbing. Education, industrial
progress and science no longer exist in the
| abstract on this subject, but in applied
pract1cability. Sectional interest fades
from sight in the united interest of prac-
t1cal principles Of home making and Of
| good citizenship.
Many OF the states furnish funds for the
| introduction of applied science in sew
| ing, cooking and other Industrial depart
ments, and the lack Of funds by which
school boards have been embarrassed
has frequently been supplied by women's
CLUBS: Nearly twenty states have schools
for the training of teachers and instruc-
| tors, while others have loan fund for
scholarships. The measure Of success must
mean the ability to meet the demands
upon It, The question, what are you
! good for?" is the commercial query in the
competition or rivalry of nations, and its
practical solution is in the intelligent in
struction which Is being given, and prom
| inent in this is the diversified department
of household economics
! No longer the three RS represent the
essentials Of education, but the three
! HIS, heart, head and hand, intelligent
direction of labor, and the happiness Of
the operator in his work Ruskin said,
Art Is the expression of pleasure in
work Sewing does not represent the
employment of fingers alone, but IT. edu-
Gates in geography by showing the source
OF materials. and natural science thru
study of the different textiles, cotton, wool,
silk and flax The breadth of household
economics teaches that physics Is not con-
4 fined to laboratory work, but is sancti-
fed common sense; that bacteriology is not
an abstract technical term, but knowl-
l ode IF he
ing and sanitation, thru whose use the lives
OF many children maybe saved by the re-
moyal Of decayed vegetation from the
basement instead Of spending useless tears
] because loved ones have been removed
from the family circle by so-calfed dis
pensation of providence.
4 We have long been told that the hand
that rocks the cradle rules the world, we
now learn that we are no longer to be con-
4 fined to the use of one 3hand,y or. without
the proper balance, FOR the other hand
Yields the cooking spoon. In this devel-
/ opment OF equipoise has also followed the
i knowledge Of the proper care Of the body.
land the threatened disaster. to our nation
Isof9 nervous prostatfon may be averted. 8
+ This convention has had the distinction
of being the first great concourse of wo-
a men to celebrate a historical national
event and now for the first time in the
4 history Of the biennial program house
hold economic has Its proper emphasis,
! and the women in discussion signifed their
intention Of giving every department of
this great problem sofslife its just prornin-
i ence. Goethe in his poems wrote '.To
i educate their children every mother should
do as the ducks do with their splashing
brood, swim up and down with every son
4 and daughter-but of course to swim there
4 must be water" The educational ele-
ment Is being rapidly furnished. \
i The president Of the lady board of man
4 ayers of the world fair, secured by great
diplomacy 100000 for especial needs Of
the board, but $4,000, 900, 900 represent
The total annual expenditure for daily life
In the United States, and for Its wise dis
tribution as the conservers of home life,
women are largely responsible.
4 The most interesting feature of the
club report is the practical side. and the
simple, concise. and. above all, thoro ar
rangements provided for instruction. The
defniteness of work. the results from
small amounts expended show already
what has been accomplished in this mis-
4 sionary work forsbetter home making.
: Many new professions and trades are be-
ing evolved by women from the new con-
ditions which prevail in home life, and