Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-03

Every Girl Should
Learn to Cook

George w. Perkins, chairman of the
Mayors Committee on Food Supply in
New York city. believes that a cooking
certificate should so with every marriage
certificate.
No girl has any right to marry, says
Mr.. Perkins frankly and emphaticaliy,
unless she knows how to cook and keep
house, because such knowledge is essen-
tlal when It comes to making an efficient
home. He does not blame the girls for
their lack Of ability to manage the house,
hold, but he does blame the system of
education that neglects to give them
proper training for their most important
business in life.
AS chairman Of the Mayors COMMITTEES
on Food Supply, recently appointed to
investigate the high cost of living in New
York. Mr.. Perkins has had the oppor-
tunlty to do some extensive investigating
and to arrive at some very definite and
sound conclusions. He attributes n great
deal of the high cost of living to the lack
of knowledge on the part Of the house,
wife, both as to buying food and cook
ing it.
This situation is much more acute in
our large cities than It is in the smaller
communities. where life is not so arti-
ficial and where the girls are content to
stay at home instead Of going into shops
and offices and factories. The desire of
girls-even OF the daughters of well-to-do
parents--to be Independent and to earn
their own spending money, II not their
own living, is largely responsible for the
widespread ignorance of all branches of
household management.
AS soon as a girl leaves school her one
idea Is to get job. II she happens to be
attractive she usually marrles. And when
she marries, her one idea Of what is
needed to establish home is to make a
tour OF the department stores with her
iance and decide whether or not they
want the complete furnished apartment
that costs sJ69.74, or whether they can
afford to go as high as $4,000 for the
fitting out Of their future home.
When 1t comes to the actual work of
managing that home, the poor little bride
has hard sliding. She knows nothing
of keeping either house or fiat in a
healthy, comfortable condition. Cooking
Is a sealed book to her. Her one idea OF
intelligent marketing Is to telephone to
the corner grocery or the dellcatessen
store across the street to send over a
supper.
Given this comprehensive lack of all
lsetul knowledge, combined with a keen
appetite for pretty frocks, theatres and
Ill manner of youthful fun, it is easy to
zee why the young husbands salary
nelts away like snow wreaths in thaw
before 1t has half covered the necessary
expenditures, and why in so many cases
he young husband decides that matri-
nony Is merely a snare for the unwary
md that the game is distinctly not worth
he candle.
This is the poorer girls side of the
tory. She is firmly convinced that the
ack OF money is the root of all the evil
a her life, and that IL she were only
lch her troubles would vanish because
ne could pay some one else to do the
'ork that is so bewildering and bother
ONE.
But the rich mans daughter is no bet
er on. One of the American notions In
nat It Is totally unnecessary for the
aughters OF well-to-do people to learn
nythlng about cooking or houseWork, a.
he fond mother takes the position that
glrI can be girl only once in her life
nd she wants to see her own particular
TI nave the best time possible until she
arrles' and to that end leaves her
'rupulously free to do exactly as she
eases As for the average American
ouse TO plan their domain as they see
: he pays servants to do the work.
Id when his daughter marrIes he will
70 10 1t that she gets some chan who
amply able to take care of her and
oVide her with servants of her own.
Sometimes 1t works out In this way;
metimes it does not. But even If the
rvants are forthcoming and the income
ter marriage Is as large as IL was
fore, the young mistress of the new
use is in most diffieult position if
e does not know something of tha
'rk she expects her servants TO do. II
e does not know market values she
II be cheated out of her eye-teeth
cry month when the bills are paid: II
e does not know how to cook and have
me knowledge of the way provisions
ould be used, the waste from her
chen would keep an ordinary family.
she does not understand something of
litation, her comfortable. luxurious
me is as likely as any tenement 10
come hotbed of disease
IT. Perkins says most truly that ths
resulting from the ignorance of rich
poor girls alike with regard Ia anv
Z or household management is felt
oushout the entire community. II they
e only themselves and their own
niies II would be bad enough, but tha
ste that goes on everywhere in The
chase and preparation OF foodstuffs
EMS the quantity and lifts the rric.