Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-11-26
No PAR[OR COOKS
IN OTHER SCHOOLS
Iowa Institutions Conducted on
Practical Plans in Culinary
Departments
BLUFFS SCHOOL EXCEPTION
Recent Action of the Control Board
at institute for Deaf in Line With
Established PoIicy-Pink Salads and
Chocolate Fudses Not in the curri-
culum.
Special to Times-Republican


| Des Moines. Nov 26.-Whatever the
opinion of the people of Council Bluffs
may be- the opinion of the state board
lof control is unalterable that the sci
ience of cooking. if taught at the state
institutions at ALL shall be taught in
| the kitchen and not in the parlor.
Council Bluffs people who have been
I lcriticising the board ever since it ad-
vised against rebuilding the school for
the deaf on the old inaccessible site.
considered the change as another move
of the board against the school for the
deaf, and additional argument against
the school being under the supervision
of board that manages penitentiaries
and insane hospitals.
Cooking is taught at the Girls In
dustrial School at Mitchellville very
successfully in the kitchen. The girls
take their turns at getting meals. They
live in cottages. and six girls are de-
tailed to get breakfast and six others
dinner, and SIX others supper and the
work thus rotates SO that every girl
must do the practical work of cook
ing. Furthermore, they have to eat
what they cook Teaching cooking is
a perfect success at Mitchellville, and
no girl can remain long at the insti-
tuition without learning the funda-
mentals of practical cooking, includ-
ing making bread and frying beefsteak.
At the school for the deaf at Coun-
ell Bluffs a different method was fol-
lowed. The cooking teacher and the
pupils never went into the kitchen. AL
tho the inmates of the institution were
consuming three meals, and an elab-
crate and perfectly appointed kitchen
was at hand to prepare the meals in. a
special force of paid cooks (real coolSs)
had to prepare the meals that were
actually eaten. The pupils to receive
the domestic science instruction were
assembled in school room, where a
special range was at hand to cook on.
Bread making was not in the curricu-
lum. neither frying beefsteak. They
made the daintiest salads and put gel.
atines thru all kinds of gyrations The
pupils were taught how to make
chicken patties and the cutest little
sandwiches, consisting of the daintiest
little waters, with something in be-
tween, and all tied together with a lit
tie pink ribbon. Custards, cakes. pies,
mullins, apple SHOWS. potato flakes and
chocolate Judges were regular topics Of
study on the curriculum
The pupils were never given this
to eat themselves. That which was
eatable was passed around to the Of
ficers and superintendent land if they
didn't want it it was thrown away.
But no particular use was made Of it.
1t never came onto the table at a
regular merl.
board of control are very prac-
tical sort of men and as
the inmates and employees Of the insti-
tutions are all consuming three meals
a day and these meals must be pre-
pared, why not teach the children ac-
tual cooking in an actual kitchen for
an actual meal Cooking could thus be
taught without additional expense and
the worE; that the pupils would thus
do would be an actual saving to the
state in expense. Under the Boston
teachers idea the course of instruction
is very considerable expense as al.
the supplies must be purchased extra
in addition to the reguar supplies for
the rations of the institution.
The .parlor method Of teaching cook
sing was tried also at some of the other
state institutions but was decided a
failure and the kitchen method is now
used everywhere in the state institu-
tions where that subject is taught.
One of the best opportunities for
legislation at the hands of the Thirty
second general assembly is to make
the state inspection of city accounts
applicable also to the inspection of the
accounts of counties. including the
county treasurers and boards of super
visors, and to apply the uniform ac-
counts law now applicable only to
cities to counties alike. Thus far the
state inspectors have examined the
accounts Of Creston, Marshalltown, Ft.
Madison. Atlantic and Keokuk and will
next inspect the accounts of Fairfield.
Fairfield and Atlantic are each under
5000 population and the inspection was
requested as is provided Tor by law.
In each city with the possible excep-
tion of Marshalltown the inspectors
have discovered gross irregularities
and disregard Of the plain provisions
of the statutes in the matter of trans
ferring money from one fund to an
other, appropriating money for pur-
poses not allowed by law and some
other minor evasions 1t is claimed
that every abuse that exists as to the
accounts Of cities exists with equal
force as to the counties and money is
transferred from one fund to another
and the tax levy exceeded and money
appropriated for purposes not allowed
by the statutes. 1t is believed that
the inspection of the cities of the state
will gradually reduce this disregard
of the law merely by the publicity that
is given--the reports Of the inspectors