The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1904-03-31
FOR DOMESTIC SCIENCE
Chicago Women Interested In
Project of National Scope.
COLLEGES TO TEACH HOME WORK.


Girls For Management of Homes.
Mrs. HenrOtin Declares That Pres
ent Methods Are Educating Young
Women Away From Their True
Sphere.
Domestic science taught in all schools
and universities attended by women,
with college degrees for managers of
households and general recognition o.
the art of providing comforts and luz
uries for the home, is the dream Of
group of Chicago women, says a Chica.
! go dispatch
These ladies say they do not wish to
be looked upon as extreme prOpagan-
dists who would found Conservatives
of cookery where professors of pastry
and doctors of doughnuts would ex.
pound theories, but they do desire to
spread the doctrine that women in all
grades of life ought to be learned in
economics of the home-in the laws of
hygiene as in the languages.
The foundation of national life, the
home, is declared to be in need of fos-
tering care. The danger is said to be
greatest in the so called educated
classes "and among those who are
striving to attain false education
which they consider higher
It is proposed to form an association
of expert housekeepers who Will take
up the question of domestic science
with public educators and enlarge the
scope Of the School Of Domestic Arts
and Sciences established in Chicago
three years ago. The promoters of the
association hope then to go beyond
the confines of the city and state and
induce the great institutions where
feminine students go to add to their
curricula studies in chemistry of foods
bacteriology and sanitation.
Particularly is it designed to save
from a life Of tea drinking and scandal
mongering the girl who comes ont of
school. in which home management and
home occupations have found little
place. Such girl, while taught to de-
mand a reason for everything, is in
many cases intrusted with the conduct
of a household where she is given nc
reason for anything except usage. To
the mind trained in the average uni
versity such an occupation is not worth
while. 1t is too confning. and the pos,
SCISSOR of it too often turns to frivOlities
when she is not abusing her servants to
her neighbors.
The Chicago Woman's club as a body
is championing the movement and its
president, Mrs. Charles Henrotln, is out
spoken in her advocacy. The club de-
voted an afternoon recently to discus
sion of the subject after listening to
paper by Mrs. Lynden Evans, who is
the head of the School Of Domestic Arts
and Sciences. The fact that within the
last few years the universities Of Chi
cago, Wisconsin and Michigan had be-
gun the teaching of chemistry of foods,
bacteriology and kindred branches was
hailed as most encouraging sign.
ST think domestic science should be
taught in public and private schools"
said Mrs Henrotin. "This idea, which
was frowned upon by most educators
at first, has been gaining ground in the
last two years. An active educational
movement along these lines has been
going on in a quiet way, and now it has
reached such proportions in Chicago
that it is planned to take up the propo-
sition with the board of education. This
is not a fad, but a serious work along
right lines"
"We have in the United States 10.
100000 private homes" said Mrs. Ey-
ans. ''It is safe conclusion that
every home must have some kind of a
70 000 mn
housekeepers 100000 domestic work
ers, and we have &C least 100000
women engaged in homemaking as
against 100000 in outside occupa-
lions. Homemaking, occupying as ii
does 100000 women, who hold in
their hands the comfort Of and health
of so many other millions, has no place
In our census, and the future student
Of these records may well suppose that
only 100000 out of the 24,OO0,OOO OF
the sex were doing nothing. This labor
OF maintaining household, rearing
children and struggling with the serv'
ant problem Is considered worthy OF
no record. Why? Because the women
who pursue it have belittled it, have
failed to organize, classify, uplift
"Our present educational system uTl
fits the woman for her home LIFE By
lowering her ideal of the home, while
&c does not as a rule fit her for any
thing else that is useful. The absolute
1ncompetency Of she average girl wher
she first comes from school rs only
fully rec led by the parent who tries
to fit lr into usefulness in the home
or til. friend who seeks to find her EN-
t1.oyrnent elsewhere"