The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-05-07
CHICAC0 YOUNG WOMEN AS OFFICIAL HOUSEKEEPERS AND
BUDGET MAKERS FOR FAMILIES IN SUBMERGED TENT
by Dorothy Dale.

Of11OAGO, may WHEN
Chicago judge waivers between
sending a woman to the work
house or giving her another
chance he turns for advice to a
slender. brown-eyed young wom-
an who has absolutely nothing to
do with courts or court work.
The Judge doesn't always know
he is turning to her, for it's usu-
ally done on paper. Yet in the
end his decision depends on hers.
The young woman is Miss Mar
garet Blank, 1922 Jackson boule-
ward. She is an official visiting
housekeeper. When the judges
letter asking for information Is
received at any of the charitable
organizations it is given to Miss
Blank. She visits the woman
and If she believes she can han
die the unfortunate one and teach
her how to take an interest in
her home, IL it's only one room,
the one more chance is granted.
The visiting housekeeper de-
partment was added TO the United
Charities organization a year ago.
1t was found that chewing meals
off hard loaf or going without
them most of the time because
mother wasn't there, or because
the money she left went for pop
and sodas instead of something
more solid, wasn't a bit success
full. 1t made so much work for
visiting nurses.
Then Miss Myrn Brockett, head
of the Mary Crane nursery, sug-
gested that one woman who
would teach housekeeping could
cut down the visiting nurse work.
And now she has added a family
budget maker to the department.
who has planned out menus of sa-
worry food that will satisfy a fam
lily of six on 43 cents a day.
Some of the homes that Miss
Blank goes into are enough to
make one wonder where to
start first. But she doesn't stand
and wonder. She goes right in as
IL she always lived there. She
doesn't say or look Heavens!
What a dirty place." She smiles
and says ''Let do this" or Don't
you think we'd better do that?"
and in five minutes the neglected
mother or the untaught little
mother are working away with
her as IL their lives depended on
it, which is often true.
One of the homes Miss Blank
visited is what the nursery people
call a hurdy-gurdy family. The
fathers name is Dominick Izz0.
He drives an old horse which he
rents, while his wife goes along
to turn the crank that makes the
rafting street piano play. Some
one had directed the children TO
the nursery, so Miss Blank went
to see If she wasn't needed at
their home.
She was.
The six little "Hurdy-Gurdys"
were at home in their two rooms.
The kitchen was the living room.
The stove door was broken and
The fire out. The floor was SO
Uttered there was hardly room to
step. The table was piled with
sticky dishes. The smallest child
sat in one corner and tried to
get his teeth through the crust Of
a loaf of bread. 1t was 10
o'clock, but no sign of dinner in
sight.
The inner room was a muddle
of cluttered up beds. Under the
beds were the potatoes and
onions.
In a minute or two Miss Blank
looked a different person from
the blue cloaked girl who entered.
A big apron covered her COM
pletely. A generous cap was
drawn over her hair. Her hands
were slipped into rubber gloves.
Hadn't we better wash the
dishes?" she asked of Antonio. a.
girl who had been
at the nursery.
Antonio looked doubtful. Her
forehead puckered. She had seen
dishes washed at the nursery, and
knew how the nursery ladies did
it.
"Some people don't hQve no
she said, with the pucker
still there.
Miss Blank went over to her
suitcase. Out, came the bar that
was needed. For that's just what
the suitcase is for. It's always
full of soap and disinfectants.
Well, in no time that house
looked like another place.
And Miss Blank has a system
that keeps her "homes" looking
like other places.
She has a card for. each family.
Each child Is given certain
tasks. When she goes in on her
inspection rounds she calls the
roll. And the children race to
see which can give the best re-
port. Backing the stove and
the dishpan are the
chief favorites in this housework.
The little girls love to make them
SO bright they can see how they
look In them.
"The children are the best help
in the work" said Miss Blank.
eff the mother can't understand
me they interpret and explain till
she does what they tell her to.
: I'VE have a fund for brooms.
scrubbing brushes, pals, etc. If