The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-12-09
RAYMOND w. PULLMAN.
Times Washington Buredv. No. q
Metropolitan Bank Building.


WASHINGTON, ID. c.. Dec. 9.-The
cooperative laundry in farming com
munities. operated
COOPERATIVE along much the
Farm Work. same lines as the
cooperative cream
cries. Is an innovation which govern
ment agricultural experts believe VIII
mark the passing oil the family wash
tub and'the emancipation of the farm
ers wife from large part or the
drudgery which "a sapping her strength
and energy and Fastening the move
ment OF the younger generation TO
the cities. Two OF the departments
OF the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and
interior-are vying with each other
ia plans for tightening the tasks OF
the farm woman. The reclamation
service OF the interior department and
a number of the bureaus of the de-
partment OF agriculture have already
begun TO put practical suggestions
into effect
The washtub must go and the CO.
operative laundry take its place. This
is the idea upon which the reclama-
ton service has just begun the en-
couragement OF the labor-saving In
vention which Is expected to go a
long way toward relieving the farm
home OF one of its heaviest burdens.
The governments men on the irriga-
ton projects say that the washtub Is
en- instrument OF torture, which has
filed the days OF the farmers wife
with despair and her nights with
< troubled dreams, is doomed The
back to the land" movement gets
much of it's impetus from the fact that
/ better things now obtain In the farm
home than ever before, but II Is like
f! ly that no message more potent for
! joy and comfort has ever been borne
10 the rural regions than the official
promise OF encouragement Of the CO.
operative laundry idea.
The practically OF the idea has
been demonstrated beyond a doubt In
the little town of Chatfield, Mimi,
where the plan originated.
A cooperative creamery on much
| he same lines as the creameries on
number OF the government irrigation
projects throughout the west was IN
successful operation, and the super
intendent OWNED the idea Of utilizing
the same power TO run a washing ma
chine. An old churn, operated by
belt from the shaft which runs the
creamery machinery, did the trick
The more progressive men in the
company quickly seized upon the idea
of extending the work to include the
| laundry for the patrons OF the plant
| and up-to.date machinery was In
stalled at a cost of about $4,000. The
gross receipts for the first ten month";
were $4,s09. The farmers bring theil
laundry when they come with tbs
cream, and on their next trip TO the
creamery they carry home, ready fol
use, the weeks wash.
The laundry bill Is charged to TIT
: cream account and taken out OF tn
cream check at the end of. the mouth
Five cents per pound is charged TO
washing. All fiat work Is ironed II
the mangle and no extra charge Il
made. The rough-dry is ironed b.
hand, and is charged according to tn
time IL takes a girl to iron IT,
Is cents per hour. The Minnesota
plant, at the end OF the year. will
| 100 patrons. was able to pay back t
each 10 per cent Of the wash bill TO
the year. and the average cost pc
family was $4.6l per month, which
included the laundering and ironinl
of their shirts and collars.
While this laundry does not add Il
the farmers income as the creamer.
does, II Is, indirectly, productive en-
| terprfse, lifting the heavy burden
from the farmers wives, saving then
strength for other duties. and increas
ing the efficiency and comfort of TIL
| farm home many times more thar
enough to recompense for the outla.
of $4.61 for eight days Of back
breaking work.
! Cooperative creameries have al
ready been established on several o
the government irrigation project
and it is hoped that the time is no
far distant when laundries will b
run in connection with each Of thes
plants. The same power which run
the machinery for the creamery cal
be utilized for the laundry work. an
there Is always an abundance OF no
water and steam. In many section
cheap electric power from the govern
ment plant Is available for such In
ldustries.
Long years ago the scythe. tn
cradle and the fail were relegated 4
the junk heap. Today the farme
with gasoline or electric power Z
drive his machinery and perform tn
heavier tasks, with patent mixers
riding plows and other labor-savinl
devices, has eliminated much OF tn
back breaking work on the farm. Fo
the farmers wife invention has dom
hut little. So one OF her chic
denominations is wash day, and tn
task of keeping the family clothe
clean undoubtedly has been the rocl
upon which more than one househol,