New-York tribune., 1911-02-26
HosU the Home May BE SaVed
There Is Hope for This Harassed institution IN
the Community Kitchen.

, kitchen. Far more important is the saw
ing Of drudgery and peace Of mind III was
this which recommended the scheme TO tne
Lambs. Mis-. Lamb is an artist of renowh
Her specially is portrait and deco
rativc painting and miniatures. and when
Mr.. Lamb is preparing one Of his big &C.
clcsiaStical designs she does the life-sized
figures for him. But, rs Mr. Lamb eX-
plained to the Tribune reporter, in his OF
hcc at No % Sixth avenue. where the
rooms are lined with angels an6 saints and
6ued with a dim artistic light, Mrs. Lamp
finds that domestic cares interfere seriously
wit, her artistic career.
Nov. II we had the community Kitchen"
II was explained eagerly. all she would
have to DO would he to telephone in TO the
manager in the morning what we wanted
for our meals that day. That would end it:
no Worrying because Bridget had the
DUMPS no teaching the new cook how 10
do things. and no fear that dinner will be
sroiled. She could give what time she had
to arranging the table beautifully. planning
the best variety for the meals, and giving
all the little touches which make home life
beautiful because she would be spared the
drudgory which Just keeps 1t going.
Home life would be preserved. AS con-
Gitions are now, il is vanishing from New
York. People cannot afford private homes,
and so they go into flats: or the wife has
not time or spirit to be fretted away With
drudgery. and they go into flats But what
kind of a life is that? IL YOU give up your
own kitchen YOU eat i'm big dining room,
lust like public hotel You cannot con-
verse pr,Vately, nor show your friends real
hospitality, nor correct the children's table
manners. The difficulty isn't solved by
those who say Have your meals served IN
your own rooms because that is too eX-
pensivc for the average family. But with
the community kitchen you retain your
own private dining room. The meals are
sent in, and your little waitress serves
them. Then if you want to treat your old
friend TO your favorite whiskey and cigars.
YOU Just get them out of your own ilttle
private putlers pantry. Your wifes friends
won't want these, l suppose. but they can
make candy I'm the chafng dish. If you
want to give big dinner, there is no per-
SHADING Bridget beforehand. You just tele-
phone the menu and the number of plates
to the manager, and he sends il up on time
with an extra waitress if you need her.
HE can save expenses at such times. az
always. lie gets oysters and game at
Wholesale prices, fresh from the big mar
kets You eliminate middlemens profits,
the delays due to delivery and the neces-
sarly inferior quality Of small dealers
wares.
"As for the managing Of such kitchen,
il is perfectly simple. There would be
kitchen association. composed of repre-
sentatives of each family Each member
would pay dues. receive dividends. II there
were any, and have a vote in the conduct
of affairs 1t would be just like any other
club or social organization. If you didn't
like the cooking. if the chef liked more
paprika than you did, you'd make COM
plant, and II things didn't improve you'd
have him fred and get another.
Part of the associations funds might
well 90 TO buying the two houses along the
service drive which leads through the block
from kitchen TO street. In these the SER
wants would lodge, and there would be an
employment office for extra help in case
you wanted a nurse girl while your friends
children were visiting you.
"Oh, it's all so simple and reasonable. It
is strange it has not been put into practice
yet. | expect. however. that some Of the
model tenement builders may operate the
scheme soon. They have the money and
the right ideas They know, too, that the
problems Of modern life aren't solved by
merely putting more fire escapes and bigger
windows into tenement houses. An army
travels on It's belly YOU know. and so
does city. What we eat is the most inn
portant thing. II we are strong and we'll
nouriShed we resist disease if not. we
catch every disease that is floating around
Food is much more important than shelter
We treat invalids out of doors now. but we
feed them up well. That is what my wife
keeps telling me-you know. all this is her
idea. she SAYS: Your schemes for heauti-
? fying New York are all very well, but you
would do the city more good if you could
feed it properly"