New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-29
MODERN HOME KEEPING.

The problem, the real issue. confronts
| the midde-class woman OF slight strength
and still slighter means. and OF whom
society expects so much-tne wives Of
ministers on small salary, wives Of bank
clerks. shoe statesmen, college professors.
and young men I'm various businesses
starting TO make their way They are
refined, educated women, many with
college or business training They have
one or more babies to care for and
limited finances to meet the situation %.
There is nothing difficult or mysterious
about motion study Everything we 40
is motion, whether we stand or stoop
every task is composed Of motions OF
groups OF motions; IL the motions are
few easy and pleasant the task is easy.
II the motions are useless and fatiguing
the task is drudgifying. The whole OBJ
ject of motion study in the home is %
analyze the way we do each task, so that
We may learn to do il in the way that IS
most pleasant and least fauguing.
In ironing I found that my board. just
like the sink was not at the right height.
Ii was so high that ] couldn't obtain
enough purchase on my iron without
extra effort. | simply lowered the board.
made ii very steady, and thus helped my
efficiency Even to-day so many women
use the poor and inefficient method OF
supporting an ironing board upon the
back of a chair and the table where it il
always shaky. instead OF using a good
board on a stand capable Of adjustment
to various heights.
In ironing | followed the same idea az
specialization-all starched pieces first
all fiat pieces last II is this separation
and specialization that enable the worker
to speed up as no other plan allows. M
Il noticed that when sprinkled clothes
first piled them all on a table, damp
ened each piece. rolled it and stopped to
lay each separate piece I'm the clothes
basket at my feet-an unnecessary motion
for each Of the dozens of pieces! I now
place the basket on a high chair beside
me. level with my table. and never stoop
Il found 1 was making the same mis-
take when ! hung up the clothes, stoop-
ing for each piece in the basket 70 hang
il up. | found | could stand between two
lines and All both alternately without
waste motion The clothes basket L.
wheeled about In an abandoned go-cart-
motion effort and time saved-which kept,
the basket at the level Of my waist, tn
stead of my feet
Even the simplest one-process tasks
may be standardized and a better way
found which will entail less waste mo-
ton, which means waste vitality. One
OF the most common of tasks is 10 beat
eggs, whip cream or mix a cake batter
In each OF these cases the general way
is to have the ingredients in a BOWL
using the right hand TO beat or manipu-
late the spoon or egg whip, while the
left hand holds the bowl steady. We
have become so accustomed TO steading
a bowl in this way. with the left hand
that We can hardly believe such method
is extremely inefficient. II requires
strong and steady hold on the bowl 10
keep il at the proper slant or purchase
for beating its contents. Why waste
energy in keeping a utensil in place
when We can easily clamp any bowl az
glass churn to the table and save the
wasted motion of holding the utensil IN
place for the real task Of beating Or
whipping ?-Christine Frederick, in New
Housekeeping. '-