El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-03

IAN FRANCISCO Calf. July g.
Long years before the General
~ federation was formed or even
thought OF, a prominent woman, speak
ing before a body of earnest club
women interested in self improvement,
said. Let it never for moment be
I rgOtten that club Woman'S nrSt
duty is to her home. No outside work
can ever make up for the neglect OF
home duties" Despite many assertions
to the contrary, the spirit OF TINS
statement has always been the key
note of WOmen's club efforts so II
follows that while ciYics, education
and other matters have been seeming
" most popular, there has never been
a time when domestic science IN It's
Droadest sense was not dominant
feature in the club work of the women
of every state.
have wrought changes in the home
life of every family and therefore do
nestle science, household economics or
whatever other term is applied to
home making, had first to take into
consideration the application of mod
ern conditions to the demands OF the
family-many of these demands being
in a fluid state of evolution With the
coming of higher educational adYan-
tages for women there came temporary
~ distaSte for many things dcmeS-
tic; Mothers took pride In the in
teuectual attainment OF their dduSh-
tiers and neglected to train them for
caring for their future families. Then
too, when women were forced into
wage earning positions they had not
always the opportunity to prepare for
hcme making. The result of this neg
lect has become apparent in the pres
ent generation and the club women are
quick to profit by the lesson Now
the pendulum is swinging towards the
middle again and, while the girls are
being literally educated in every chO-
sen calling, the fact is not lost sight
n n
OF her life, is likely to have a home to
care for, so a preparation Tor this is
being made part OF her education.
Besides this, the domestic science work
of the clubs aims to help the women
who did not receive instruction in
home making before marriage 10 use
all means possible for increasing the
comfort of their families.
Helps All Working Clubs.
The General Federation of Women's
clubs extends a helping hand to every
club working along any line of domes
tic science. There are many lectures
upon this subject suited to the differ
ent needs Of the individual clubs.
Some of them consist of practical, con-
else information upon everyday sub
jects which help unframed housewives
to provide better food and clothing and
more comfort for their families and to
spend less money in doing so. For the
women who have mastered this ele-
mentary part Of the work there are
courses in the chemistry of food in
advanced ideas IN home furnishings
and kindred topics. The lessons ad-
vocated by club women are always
suited to the needs of the people to
whom they are presented For in
stance cooking lessons for the wives
of men on a small salary will not
contain recipes for making a cake
calling for a dozen eggs. but it may
give simple directions for making one
that is both good and wholesome re-
Quiring two or three eggs.
When it is considered that 80 percent
of all that people earn is spent for
food, clothing or shelter the import
ance of securing the maximum value
from this expenditure cannot be dis
puted. The time has come when house
keeping is recognized as a science
calling for special instruction instead
of an unskilled employment that can
be picked up haphazard without any
training. 1t is impossible, in many
homes. for the mother to give this in
strUction even when she is competent
to do it and it becomes the aim of the
club to work for the welfare of the
home in this way. Under the auspices
of the club women of Colorado. lee
then crane their necks to watch a
dwindling figure. sta tiOnary in the road
behind A genial hail is waited family