Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-10-12
Interesting Morning Ses-
sion at the Illinois
Theatre.
THANKS FOR THE HOSTS
[. B. Strayer, of South Rock
Island, Presented With
Morris Chair.

Domestic science will be taught in all
public schools if the question adyo-
Gated by Miss Margaret NJ. Mather OF
the State Agricultural school of Kansas.
at Manhattan, who spoke before the
Farmers National congress this morn
ing at the Illinois theater, ever becomes
a reality. Congressman James Mckin-
ney. and Mrs. Ella Durley of Des Moines
addressed the convention. and L. B.
Strayer of South Rock Island was made
the recipient of a handsome morris
chair, the gift of the congress. The gift
was in appreciation of mis- work in ar
ranging for the present meeting.
The resolutions committee reported a
number of new resolutions, the one on
government aid for good roads bring
ing out 4 great deal of discussion
Digniies HOusework.
Miss MatheT gave very interesting
talk on Educational Home Making,
which in part follows: while you are
teaching Your young men the science
of farming i'll your agricultural schools,
would it not be good plan 10 consider
what might be done for your girls?
Domestic science has been taught i'll
the Kansas Agricultural college for
nearly so years. and it does not mean
lavish cooking, but rather brings house
work TO dignified position. Have we
any dignifed labor? That is a question
we ale wont TO overlook, and we must
make the labor of the home and the
labor of the hands just as dignified as
that of the head. We have paid too
much attention 10 the head and too lit
tie to the heart and hands in our pub
lie schools. | have taught in the public
schools for six years. and my plea to
YOU is to remember that the education
of the hands and heart are almost as
essential as the education of the mind.
| have made some investigation of the
reform schools, and in one institution
where 143 girls were confined, not
single one could do even the smallest
task about the house before they found
their way into the institution. 1t is
Lot a matter of cost when it comes 10
education. What do we care whether
it be thousands or hundred when good
citizenship is attained That is the
important question.
Poor Home without Woman.
Isn't it mighty poor home where
a woman is not to be found? She is
the home maker Now let us take the
little girl up until she enters upon her
first year at school, Every instinct Of
her playful life shows the disposition OF
the housewife. Sne has her toy dishes,
her little dinners. dolls. and in many
tpavc She syOpg
through the lower grades and does
nothing about the house in a great
many cases. and finally she enters the
higher grades. She then prepares for
college. OF course she has her social
pleasures, and if ner mother insists on
doing the work, il is not the girls fault.
Then whose fault is it? The mothers,
partially; but the great fault lies in our
educational institutions. Give the girl
three months start. and establish a de-
partment of domestic science in our
public schools and she will do the rest.
When you are thinking of your resolu-
tions on good roads, and such topics,
stop to think of what an important sub
ject domestic science really is, and see
TO it that it finds ITS way into the pub
lie schools"
Labor Saving in Home.
The paper assigned to Mrs. Ella h.
Durley of Des Moines was that of La
Dor Saving Devices in the Home" and
was very ably presented by her. Part
of it follows: ITO illustrate my sub
ject. l want to tell story that perhaps
many of you have heard, but neyerthe
less it serves my purpose admirably,
and | must resort to it. The husband
on the farm, which was well kept, de-
voted most of mis- time and money to
the raising of fine breeds of cattle, and
decided TO erect a spacious new barn.
When the barn was nearly completed
his little wife called his attention to
the frail partitions in the house, the
falling paper which she herself mad
placed on the walls 10 years ago, and
asked that a little improvement in the
house be made. Her husband replied
that it would last a little longer A
short time after he was called away
for several days, and in his absence the
wife moved. the family into the barn
and closed up the house. On his re-
turn he was amazed 10 find the home
deserted and after much reflection saun-