The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-13

So far as can be inferred from
what is known of humankind in for
mer ages, and of primitive peoples
to-day, there were no business meth
DDS either to mems or women's work
in the beginning, nor for many CEN
turtles afterward. The division of Ia
Dor seemed to be that man should
bring in the raw material when neces-
sity called and woman should adapt
it as best she could to the service of
the family. For many generations
mankind simply lived from day to
day. but as experience and need
taught man he gradually grew to
think of a possible tomorrow and to
make to-day serve by it's abundance
the tomorrow wherein he should be
unable to be a producer. From this
appreciation of the demands Of the
future and from a desire to meet
them fittingly has come the evolution
of the modern business man, keen
to make every dollar count and every
step tell.
Has woman made like evolution in
her half of the partnership? Has
she been alert to adopt new methods
to simplify her work or to produce
the finished result with less cost? Tho
there are more exceptions to the rule
at the present time than ever before,
it still remains the law Of custom, as
at the beginning for the man to pro-
vide the material or its equivalent
and for woman to use it as best she
may for the welfare of the family
and SO it must remain. Does woman
know how to use what she has to
the best advantage?
Running a house. even Of the hum
b1est kind, admits of as much bust
ness sense and as much system as is
no nf the
chants trade. That homes are kept
without the use of such mental power
does not change the proposition.
There are curbstone merchants who
carry their stock in trade In a tray
about their necks as we'll as there are
merchant princes, and more of them.
The carrying on Of a house with
the many divisions of labor arising
from it may we'll be likened to the
carrying of large store, and
woman may study the methods in the
one and find herself benefited there
by In the other. She has certain
income on which she can depend and
which she wants to stretch to its full
capacity. It makes no difference in
this, so far as the fact goes, whether
she has a fixed allowance Of SO much
week or whether she buys as she
needs. A certain definite amount will
be necessary to provide the fuel,
lights, clothing and food during the
year, likewise a certain amount must
new supplies in furniture, and for
labor. How many women know what
proportion of the sum allowed them
by the men Of the family goes to these
various calls? Yet every business man
has like expenses figured to a fine
point, and so he knows whether he is
conducting his store or factory on the
oric I,r,f
1t costs him to produce an article, and
whether he can more profitably buy
It's parts already made or manufac-
ture them himself. How Is 1t with
women? Can they tell whether 1T is
cheaper to buy bread ready baked
or to make it themselves, tho this is
an article manufactured by women
from time immemorial and used in all
households. How many women know
how many loaves of bread should be
made from a barrel Of flour? Proba-
bly, not one in hundred, and so she
does not know from what brand she
gets the most for her money.
How many women know what is the
cheapest fuel to be used in the home
for cooking and for heating? Upor
the cost Of fuel often depends the an.
swer to the question whether to make
for ones self or to buy ready made
1T may be a real economy for the
women living in fiat and using ga
or electricity for her kitchen range tt
buy her bread and all foods requiring
long cooking, while. 1t would be al
extravaganza for her sister to do tn,
same, since her range burns coal al
day for heating the room quite a
much as for cooking.
These may seem small things to
woman, but it Is on the attention givel
to trifles that prosperity rests in tn
home, and there Is much more vast
in many kitchen than would be toll
Grated by the head Of large concern
In business men eagerly avail them
selves of the saving of half-cents, blu
in the home apparently unthriftines
too often is regarded as a virtue aki
to generosity, or the housewife ha
too little interest in her business t
find small leaks and stop them. Sh