The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1914-07-17

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Y N AGREEMENT with the somewhat
81 well-known Mr. Meredith, Uncle Sam
believes that civilized man cannot
live without cooks" and is putting that
9aa~3&A belief into demonstration in handling
Ts5gyy the educational problems of the Phil
SSSd3H> ippines.
G| The Filipino. to be sure had a civil
ization and cooks prior to the Amer
1can occupation, but the civilization was not of
nigh standard. And after several years of close
study Of the needs and possibilities of our rest
less little brown foster brothers of the far east
ern islands domestic science has been deemed
ahe surest foundation upon which to build
TO begin with, the home and its women has
been accepted by educators as the best process
OF engrafting occidental civilization, education
and, culture on the stunted halfwiid growth
which centuries of Spanish rule left behind. It
was the Filipino himself who pointed out the
%ay for the solving of his own personal equation
primitive as his home life had been he had been
Ewing up to the best he knew When something
better was before him ne was prompt to see the
advantages Of the newer way.
The domestic science of the Filipino was not
science at all; It was only a crude makeshft
handed down to him from his ancestors His
home was little better than a shack. very small
and destitute of furnishings His diet was SO
restricted that the idea of such a thing as the
art of cookery had never occurred to him.
His clothing was little-or nothing.
With the coming Of the American and his
higher standard Of civilization the Filipino, espe-
cially he OF the younger generation, saw life
from new angle, He came to the realization
iu In
ness Of living. He found that there is work to
do that he must do his share toward raising
the standards OF succeeding generations that he
mad his allotted task in the bringing of the civil
-zation of his country to higher level
The first evidence of this awakening In the
Filipino was the change in his method of life
Zone are the open fires over which swung sin.
gle pot on tripod. Gone Is the ancient habit of
an entire family, including the pups and the rest
OF The fnur-footed animals, eating from a common
dish Gone also are the primitive sleeping ar
Engagements
To be sure the change was by evolution rather
than by revolution, but its progress was sufficient
BY rapid and marked to compel the attention Of
the American educators who had gone across
seas to teach these primitive folk new things
They had gone with a notion that the Filipino
could be taught the same things and by the same
system
@5aliIornla and New York Texas and the Dakotas.
They found, however. that physical environ.
Hnent and previous social experience had bred in
She Filipino racial characteristics vastly different
IRON our own and made of him separate edu-
Cational problem.
The Filipino was not especially Interested IN
whether or not he received mental training hut
ne was ambitious cleverly Initiative and keenlv
alert TO the greater creature comforts Of ciy,Ii
Tauon which ne glimpsed for the first time when
1he american came and conquered And for all
MS reputation for slothfuness he was willing and
anxious to work for these things which so sud
aeniy he had come to desre--these tangible and
outward signs Of higher civilization.
80 II was that domestic science and vocational
training became an integral part of the educa.
Slona system OF the Philippines A half.milion
Filipino young people are voluntarily In school
ehere Is no compulsory education in the islands
Primary English education is open to all and IL
incidental to the domestic science and vocational
courses.
The Filipino knew what he wanted and no got
u, and he is quite as happy as the more sonbts.
alcated souls imagine we would be II ever ws
Slid get what we want
One of the most potent factors IN MAXIM ~
FlhpiRo, not into an imitation good American
pll INTO good, patriotic and useful citizen ~
ms own native archipelago, has been the School
o. Household Industries in Manila Here an.
nuaiiy from all the islands of the group. in ever
increasing numbers. young Fillpinos are ipstruct.
ed in domestic science and economy. Resides
these young women are taught the more imnor,
tant u less remunerative vocation OF succeasfnl
housewife and mother
The course in housekeeping and household
arts one OF the most important and most widely
studied OF the several offered by the school gives
enc young women basic education In the three
RS. three full years study being devoted 10
reaq'ng writing arithmetic and grammar. In
aRe homemaker's course they study hygiene
BONES sanitation. physiology, cooking and the
sare of infants
4 short course In nursing is given, and full