The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-22
IWOMEN'S CLUBS
MRS. RICHARDS SAYS MEN
ARE BEST HOUSEKEEPERS
Tells Women at Union Club lecture to
Use L~abor-saving Devices-Scores
Some Methods.

Modern household devices, such as
vacuum cleaners. electrical kitchen APP
paratus and a mechanical dishwasher,
were all recommended to the use of
housekeepers by Mrs. Ellen H.. Rich
ards, professor of chemistry in the Bos-
ton Institute of Technology, in her lee
turd on housekeeping in the Twentieth
Century" given yesterday in the South
Park Presbyterian Church under the
Joint auspices of the Philomathean
Club, The Half-Hour Reading Club and
Sesame.
Mrs. Richards did not hesitate to say
that men are better -housekeepers than
women, a declaration hat created quite
a furry among those present. She
added, however, that the men h re-
ferrpd to were h managers of large
hotels and apartment houses.
We must bring business methods
into OUR housekeeping" said Mrs.
Richards, 'and before we can be con-
verted to the labor-saving contriv-
ances which we find necessary in III
homes, we women will have to take
lessons in percentage, SO that we will
know better how to proportion u In
tOlhE, anu just lIOM lnHIil VIC iiii5 Ga
pend for certain things.
''1ihe question is" she added, "are
we going to put business methods
into our housekeeping or are we go
ing to let the men run our homes?"
Mrs. Richards aired her opinion of
the women who break up their homes
and live in hotels and apartment houses
rather than battle with the household
and domestic problem. She declared
that it is all a mistake to close up the
house and SEND servants adrift. She
made a plea for the restoration of the
home, n the home atmosphere.
In citing reasons for the many failures
of housekeeping in this age the speaker
said that the most glaring one was the
wrong sense of value that many women
possess. young housekeepers will pay
800 for a hall rug" she said, when they
might better put that amount into kitchen
appliances that would bring vastly more
help and comfort. We put UP with lots
of things in the construction of our homes
because we have not learned to make
enough fuss about them. We accept too
much and question too little"
Mrs. Richards exhibited a number of
kitchen utensils which she said were
labor-saving devices. She recommended
that the club women learn more about
lltli uiu lilhl int9 EhDiiiAl tAitii iQtIS "
each other In regard to solutions they
have discovered.
Thefe was n short discussion following
the address. Mrs. Henry Fl. Dawson, the
president OF the New Jersey State Fed
GRAFTON, introduced the speaker. and the
receiving party consisted Of Mrs. George
F. King. president of the Half-Hour Read
ing Club; Mrs. William L. Ross, president
OF the Philomathean, and Mrs. Henry
Haussling, president of Sesame. Mrs.
Ross and Mrs. King presided at the tea
table, and their assistants were Mrs.
George S. Fowler. Miss Helen Pointer,
Mrs. Richard G. Jenkinson and Mrs. Fran
els w. Swayze. of Sesame; Miss Martha
\. Sloane, Mrs. Henry A.. Steuber, Mrs. G.
Edward latham and Mrs. Frank f. Glib
son, of the Half-Hour Club; Mrs. j. H..
lockwood, Mrs. Bertram Townley, Mrs,
Joseph Davey and Mrs. A. S. Wintringe,
of the Phhomathean Tub