The Washington herald., 1912-05-26
COOKINGIMPORTANT
IN WORLDS WORK
It Makes or Breaks Both Health
and Happiness.

Il domestic science the most important
study in our sehools7 Is It fitting and
just 70 pay the supervisor OF cooking, =
woman. a salary Of 1900 q year. And
is Il true that she is more important and
deserves a higher salary than . school
principal7
These are just a few Of the questions
that disturbed the members Of the Board
Of Education IN New York City 4 few
days ago when It was proposed to ad-
vance the salary OF the director Of cook
ing from S3,5o0 70 1900 year.
Not only that but there was some talk
sewing, also q woman. A.ooo. and the
discussion waxed warm and eloquent.
Makes wheels Go Round.
One of the members declared that It
was the cook In his home who made
the most important wheels go round:
another believed that II a girl knew how
to cook to the kings taste her future
happiness was insured. He seemed to
be pretty sure that there was q husband
waiting somewhere In her future, and
that II she knew how to prepare food for
the gods or just plain men. that would
be Paradise enough for him
Another thought that race suicide was
largely ehargeable to poor cooking and
that II We had fewer delicatessen shops
families would be healthier, happier, and
more numerous. And 50, for the good OF
the race. the happiness OF the home. and
for the great sake OF Turing husbands
and brothers away from the cup that
inebTiates. girls Of to-day should be pre-
pared for their work as cooks Of to-mor-
row.
In passing. do you suppose husbands,
brothers, and fathers realize what a
vastly important work Il is?
And as TO sewing-well. that was pret-
ty nearly as important. and the super
Visors Of both these departments were
entitled to SL6C@ In the viewpoint OF part
OF the board.
What IL . Head COOkF
But there were some protssters-may-
be they were dyspeptics, What was a
head cook, anyway Why. there were
hundreds Of perfectly able lawyers, doc
tors and other professional men who
would thank their lucky stars H. when
the yeas was over. they could show just
half tina; royal return -Four thousand
dolIarsl And principal only $5.Oo7 The
very suggestion was reasonable, un-
thinkable!
And they seemed to forget all about
those familiar words OF the wise owen
Meredith:
we may live without friends, we may
live without books
But civilized man cannot live without
cooks
Wen, the dissenters won the day ana
the poor supervisor Of cooking and the
equally unfortunate head OF the sewing
{ csPaTtment must worry along somehow
on the inadequate salary Of S3,500-not a
dollar more than principals receive.
But one fancies neither one Of them
viii resign.
and, regardless OF the salaries that 60 TO
head Of departments. most Of US are
right glad that cooking Is going to be
an art worth while In our homes when
the fruits Of domestic science training
shall have reached the harvest time.
Never Think OF Cooking.
When We talk about the important
work Of the world we never think OF
cooking, because-wsIl. who knows just
why? Surely II is not because there are
not chefs who are beautifully recognized.
IL money speaks Of worth. The. fact
Is, most OF the cooks in the world are
Just wives and mothers, and their value
is not reckoned in dollars and cents. So
cooking has been rather taken for grant
ed as one OF the things that come by in
tuition. and there has been little thought
Of its Importance
But take the two types Of home, the
one where the daily meals are we'll
thought out, with some care for food
values and a good balance. well cooked
and daintily served then the other type
where meals are the last things thought
Of, where the cooking is poor prompt
ness Is nothing, and the nearest delica-
lessen shop is a haven Of daily refuge.
Then carry them to a finish, reckon
ing with happiness, health, and EN-
that tells the story, and
determines whether cooking is entitled
10 take its place with the really i'm
portant work Of the world, worth .
great big salary. II relative values were
taken into consideration. Because It
reaches farther than we guess.