The Washington herald., 1911-03-26
Organization of Notable Women Works
to Improve Homes and Scrub City
Until 1t Shines Like Spot
less Town"

for some sort OF official assistance in the
campaign against dirt and disorder
1t is in the home itself that the alliance
has done and is doing its most effective
work, however, and 1t is for this purpose,
more than for the work Of cleaning up
the city at large, that the alliance was
organized. The alliance states its plat
form in its official literature as follows:
In the Household.
This alliance is an affiliation of wom-
en- who believe the problems of the home
from. he standpoint of both the house.
keeper and the worker are worthy of
serious and dignified study and that con-
ditions can be greatly improved by CO.
operation. 1t was organized with the
definite aims of studying domestic prob
lcms. of improving the efficiency of do
mestic workers, and OF securing more
sanitary habits, longer terms of service.
and greater reliability among household
employees: Its present activities are a
study class in household economics, work
in sanitation, and a reference system
and registry. This registry is being car
ried on in an effort to help both the en-
ployer and the employe and to encourage
reliability and efficiency
When interviewed for The Washington
Herald, Miss Ellen Marshall Rugg, presi-
cent of the alliance, explained briefly
some of the salient features Of the work
Of the organization.
Unsatisfactory conditions in house,
hold service are among the problems the
alliance is attempting to solve" she said.
These conditions are due in part to in
adequate training Of both housekeeper
and employe and the lack Of proper rela-
hatx uya "a
great need of thoroughly adequate ref
erence system which would keep track of
the records of all household employees.
The alliance Is trying to remedy this
fault by urging its members to keep q
definite record of all employees so that
system Of reference may be devised. The
lack Of proper recognition of long service
is another thing that needs attention.
Gone of the gretest evils of housekeep-
ing in Washington is the fearful condi-
ton of the homes and lodging places of
many of the employees of our households.
Our members are urged to acquaint
themselves with the housing conditions
of their employees and take every means
in their power to improve them or, at
least, make them fairly sanitary. We
also encourage the use of washable gar
ments in the performance Of household
work, and we stand firmly for fair deal
ing Win me cn1piOye- VIC cuCou age inc
study Of household economics among all
classes OF housekeepers, and to this end
our study classes are conducted"
Subjects for Discussions.
These study classes referred to by
MISS Rugg are conducted in the form of
general discussion of a preannounced
subject Among the subjects discussed
at the class meetings this winter were
Micro organisms" ''Yeasts,- 'Bacte-
ria" and Sanitation" Subjects to be
discussed at future classes this season
include Textile materials" Effects Of
bleaching. dyeing. and other processes"
ana the Selection and use Of material"
One OF the best expeditions Of the ideas
And Ideals Of the alliance was given 1t
resent meeting in q paper by Mrs Frank
~ GOODWIN In part Mrs. 0oodwin's
po1er read as follows:
s'Houseleeeping. We are told, b In
lamenfAble condition and must be ad-
juSted to the times, and run Is . business
propoaifion Then. and only then. win
Iather ana the boys como glaaly home.
lno91ng that nothing w1n b oxpectsd
- then whsn ~ 1xE3ve Gkrook - -