The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-11-22
HOUSEKEEPING OUR WICKED
EST WASTE.

ana Here Is Tho Way TO Stop The
Leak.
(Quoted from Pictorial Review--No.
vember 1879
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the IA.
nous feminist, discusses in Pictorial
Review for November the waste in
our economic process Of housekeep-
ing. She says:
This period Of high prices and
wages Is forcing us to study economy
In every direction. The efficiency
experts are preaching economy IL,
time and labor; the financial experts
talk most learnedly of economy In
money. And woman, the worlds ev.
erlasting scapegoat, Is blamed for her
extravagance, her laziness, her ignor-
ance and indifference and careless.
ness, and Is exhorted to econOmize il,
her household administration. She
can and does retaliate by pointing out
the colossal waste Of our mishandled
public funds in city, State and nation;
the waste through mems vices: tho
waste Of city sewage and garbage, Of
the forests, Of water. Of the good
brown soil we are robbed of by every
rainfall on our dismantled hills
but all this does but divert attention
from the accusation resting upon her.
Whatever men waste in public or
private, we may see and blame; but
the waste we have not seen nor
blamed Is what goes on even in the
well-managed home. in every home.
the wide world over-a waste greater
and more incessant than any other
known. In preface to opening so vi
tai a subject. one which strikes home"
in the most literal sense to all Of us,
certain reassurances should be given.
Be 1t known then, to all women--and
men too-by these presents. that he
charges here made against our So
called domestic economy" do not in
the least degree attack marriage.
motherhood, or the sanctity Of the
home. Homogeneous marriage is as.
sured to us by forces stronger than
civic law or religious ceremony: its
roots are in biological law. and its
fruits are human happiness. We shall
not lose it Motherhood also is un-
touched by this presentation. Mother.
hood Is not housekeeping, nor house
keeping motherhood. The private
home. as the only fit setting for mon
ogamous marriage and the family. we
shall also keep. enjoy and love.
The subject here discussed Is that
purely economic process we call
housekeeping" or domestic econ
omy." and 1t is discussed in its econ
omic aspects only. We are to con-
slider not incompetent and extravagant
housekeeping, but the waste involv-
ed in this process itself-ths waste OF
time, the waste Of power, the waste
OF money. We waste in our domestic
econocy'' two-fifths. almost half. of
the worlds Iabor--not only in mere
hand power. but. In the brain power.
skill ingenuity, inventive genius. the
uplifting force which builds civiliza-
ton. And We waste in this name do
mestic economy" one-half cf what Is
the worlds main expense,
the expense Of living.
Let us take the question Of labor
first, IN this alleged waste OF two
fifths of the worlds power, as dis
tinct from the other items. Our
workers are Of two sorts. men and
women. Men as q class are engaged
in what the census calls "gainful oc-
cupations;" women as a class are en-
gagged In what the census marks IN.
&" This does not mean, as you would
at first suppose mo good" but merely
non -gainful"
For instance, in running a hotel.
the owner must provide manager,
and buyer with the cleri-
cal department, the cooks and their
the cleaners, sweepers and
and the force of wait
ers, porters and bell boys to Serve
the guests. In running O private
house, the owner. If poor man,
simply provides wife. She manages,
buys and keeps accounts. She cooks.
cleans. sweeps and does the chamber
work; she does what waiting" and
door service there Is done. II tho
husband Is a rich man. he hires 9th.
er persons to do the work. and she re-
mains only manager, buyer and clerk.
IL he Is extremely rich. he may hire
that done also. and her economic ac-
tivity then becomes scarcely percep-