The Washington herald., 1912-11-17
BY MRS. JULIAN HEATH.
Founder and National President Oi
The Housewives League.


n RISE in the price of butter seems
~ a small thing to serve as a start
A ing point for the development OF
a nationwide movement. Yet to
the high cost OF butter last Winter, the
Housewives League, which now numbers
more than four hundred thousand menu
bers, owes its amazing growth.
Probably every housekeeper In the coun-
try had been worrying herself gray-head-
ed. over the constantly increasing cost Of
food supplies and the impossibility OF
making her housekeeping allowance pro-
vide as it ought to for her family. But
nothing was done, because no one can
act alone. And anyway, there always
has to be last straw before smoulderins
discomfort flames into action.
Last January the price Of butter was
that last straw When it began to mount
skyward the Housewives League, organ
Ized during the preceding Fall from the
,nemhershIp of the Home Economics
Committee of the New York Federation
oF Uoue,,s Clubs. decided that con-
sumers should refuse to pay such absurd
prices. The members OF the league s'o0u
firmly together, and refused to buy
mound
we're maintained. The carefully laid
rlans Of greedy oold-storage speculators
were shattered. The market was brought
I, a standstiIl. Down came the price oi
butter to a reasonable figure, ana tne Wo-
men, at the cost of little sen-dehlai'
came out triumphant. cite this as ohiy
one incident in which women. banding To-
sether for the common good, can aetuaIly
force down the soaring cost OF living anu
prove that they have an almost nresis'-
ible power to frustrate the well-laid plans
of the manIpulators Of the produce mar
ket.
We all know that present conoltlohs'
both economical and social. are menace
TO the American home. The municipal
State, and Federal commissions that
have been formed to study them sho"
how fully everyone realizes this Far Dc
il from US to belittle the discussions ng
learned men and investigations by the
Government. They are OF great Value ana
should In no wise be underestimate But
the practical working out Of the hlgn
cost of living belongs TO the housewife
1t is she who must make the weekly
budget fit the weekly income. The ef-
ficient care Of the home has been her outy
always But the changed conditions OF
modern life, added to the abnormally high
cost Of living, have brought a crisis. The
housewife has at last been made to-
realize that, while individual action re-
mains as necessary as it has always
been, concerted action has become an
imperative necessity
The Housewives League is composed Of
individual members, auxiliaries, affiliated
clubs, State and city federations. Clubs
join as clubs, merely appointing House |!
wives League Committee and through II (
taking up the work of organizing an en- /
tire town. In large cities, however, such
organizing work is best done by districts,
with a leader or Captain for each district,
and the members within that district
studying the conditions therein and get
ting control of the local situation Each
locality has its own problems to consider.
so the Central Council of the Housewives
League merely lays down a general lin.
of action and then leaves the local organ
izations or clubs to work out their owl
special problems. The National Centra
Council is nothing more than an organ
izing body and a clearing house. Ever
woman's club can organize its own leag..
from among its members, and for affili:
ton with the National organization eithC
clubs or individuals can apply to or,
of the officers of the Central Counc
in New York.
These are: Mrs. Julian Heath, Pres
dent, 175 West Eighty-eighth Street; Mr.