The Washington herald., 1913-11-24

hepOTls come IN Win rather pleaslng
! frequency of the effective work done by
the Housewives League in the fight
for cheaper, cleaner. purer food. Just
now eggs are the objects Of particular
attack, and various methods are adopted
to bring about drop in the fast-soaring
prices One city has its two weeks absti-
nence. then the league reports that prices
go tumbilng down-for what gain in
/ crate upon crate in reservation II the
women refuse to buy?
In another, the league breaks the egg
market by buying in large quantities,
establishing a trim little store of its own
and selling at prices SO low that crowds
flock to the improvised market until the
last product is gone. And while nearby
dealers stand amazedly watching auto
mobiles and very mixed crowds fiocking
to the simple little store, their own high
priced eggs remain undiminished in num-
bers.
And so 1t goes. wherever the league
takes the eggs and the prices in hand.
There are a few undisturbed folk
whose finances are quite beyond any
necessity for care, but most of US, men
and women alike, feel a personal interest
and qualm or two of fear as eggs, even
the storage variety. rise higher and
higher, and as other foodstuffs follow the
pace.
For it is a thing that reaches pretty
close to the family pocketbook.
And when that is touched-why, when
that is touched men are cutie willing
that their wives, their mothers, their
daughters, and friends shall lend a hand
to the practical work Of breaking the
prices. At least, some of them are.
1t has been quite a pleasure to read the
cOmmpndat0FV haf adi
have written regarding the Housewives
League and the work accomplished-for
their work is not all confined to reducing
the prices of eggs. Some of the articles
have intimated that the activities are
quite fitting, quite in line with suitable
work for women; and, so far as observed,
there has been only praise for the house,
wives who have stepped aside from their
labors to get at the root of things
And as few OF us have noted the
kindly approval. we have wondered what
makes the difference. for il IL is real
service in community for women to
drop their knitting. their teas, their
household and social affairs for the sake
Of protecting food interests, why should
their efforts falter in other ways?
To be sure, il makes a mighty differ
ence whether eggs are 3 cents a dozen.
4. 30 or more-close to a dollar in San
Francisco. IT is said-ahd the flatter the
family Pocketbook, the greater the dif-
ference II makes.
But then, women. as purchasing agents
for homes, buy rather more than eggs
1t is a mothers affair to buy warm.
serviceable clothing for the little folk
and often for tine big folk. too. But the
amount Of wool worked in the cheaper
grade underwear is more or less de-
termined by the rise and fall of the
tari1. And is the mothers interest sup
posed to begin only with the finished
product? 1t is praiseworthy to lend ev-
cry effort to cut down the rates asked
for eggs. Would it be praiseworthy still
TO push to the front where the tariff
schedules are made?
One wonders.
Once upon a time a woman, deeply
interested in the heaithful development
OF children, boldly asked a legislator
to support bill concerning medical ex-
animation of school children. But he
did not like the spectacle Of a woman
lobbying" and mixing in with the ma
chinery of government, and he impress
sively told her that her place was at
home, taking care of her children
or course. she retired. for he politely
bowed her out while telling her his
opinion; but on the way to her home she
took time to reflect that the compulsory
education law took her children from
the home to the school. and some ar
bitrary power assured her that she must
not try to have anything to say about
school conditions and laws. II seemed
a bit strange, but she went on thinking.
If it happened that an epidemic of
typhoid fever broke out in a town be-
cause of a contaminated water sup
ply. and she and the rest OF the house.
wives felt that new filter plant was
very much needed. would it be fitting
for them. as women taking care of
their children. to try to get at the real
source of danger. or to stay home and
proceed to boil all the water and take
whatever might come?
Women might stay home and pay
the highest prices for eggs pay or let
them go by, but, rather than that some
Of them are practically protesting, with
the best weapons they have. They
cannot forbid the storing up Of eggs
until they are prohibitively high, and
sometimes stale as well; but they can
get out and. by their own manipula-
tions, force the prices down. And the
strange part of it is-they are praised,
and their work is counted quite wom-
anly, as surely it is.
But is II not important for women
to try to safeguard the health of their
families, as well as to bring about a
cheaper egg market? 1t is puzzling to
figure things out sometimes.
Pure food, clean food, food within
the reach of the ordinary income, seem
to be we'll within the woman-sphere
but there are a great many steps,
many and varied, to be taken before
those desirable results can be brought
about.
And when food comes up the back steps
with the prices fixed, the purity. cleanli-