Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-04-07
HOMEMAKERS COLUMN.
ON topics Of interest 70 the ladies'
IA solicited. Address: Editor HonEMAxHRs'
CoLUHN, Oxford Democrat. South Paris. No

beginning of family life.
It 10 not until quite recently, however,
that the problem has been approached
With anything like business attitude.
Nearly all other activities have been
more or less rapidly reduced to code
Of set principles and rules which has en-
sbled the person performing the task to
conserve as much a. possible OF bis time
and labor and at the same time get the
greatest returns possible under existing
conditions. The methods have been
and the results OF expert
ments accepted as the best solution OF
each particular problem.
In housekeeping and homemaking
each family has been left to itself to
solve its own problems. This 10 ueces.
sarily 80 to q certain extent. As no two
people can plan and regulate their lives
along identical lines, so, no two families
can follow the same program In every
detail. There are however, certain basic
which can be used as guides
in either case and it lie the adoption OF
these which has made the development
OF Organized Home Economics possible.
We no longer claim that the art OF house.
keeping Ia so completely and entirely an
gift that 1t does not need to be
the same a. any other gift.
1t may be that In the majority of cases
girl learns the methods more readily be-
cause of her vital interest In the prob
lens involved, but 1t is hardly fair to ex-
pect she can get the full value of her
lime aud effort in spending the family
income without special training, when
we do not for moment look for any
thing but failure from her brother un-
less be prepares himself for the bust
ness he undertakes.
As early as 1920 10 our own New Eng
land, women began to wonder why they
should not have systemized training
along the lines of Home Economics.
They realized that "their business" was
carried on with severe handicap due to
a lack of scientific knowledge concern.
ing the materials with which they must
work, and the conditions which prevail
ed. Efforts were made to find way.
Catherine and Harriet Beecher were
among the first to give expression to the
unrecOguized need, and 1.-THE Treatise
on Domestic Economy" written twenty
years later BY Catherine Beecher is re-
markable for it's comprehensive treat
ment of the subject.
The work has grown slowly in various
sections of the country and has met with
all the opposition attending any new
movement, but no general definite plan
of organized effort appeared until rather
recently.
The Lake Placid Conference in 1899
called to discuss the matter seemed to
be the thing needed to crystalline the
growing thought and since that time the
movem ept has been more or less we'll or.
ganized under the inspiration of Ellen
Il. Richards who became it's moving
spirit.
Now, there is hardly town which
does not know that Home Economics
training is available and there are con-
stantly fewer who do not begin to real
ize what it stands for.
There has been mistaken idea In re-
gard to the nature and scope OF the
work-not Only in the elementary and
secondary schools but In the training
schools as we'll. Because the tangible
thing is cooking and sewing and the OBJ
vious result is prepared food and made
garm ents, many have concluded that to
be the sum-total of Home Economics
training.
Because of the rapidly increasing de-
mand for teachers of cooking and sew
ing, many technical institutes have plan
ned and offered short courses which
could not in one or two years give much
work outside of those subjects dealing
with Home Economics in its strictest
sense. Even these, however, offered
courses In Physiology, Chemistry, Biolo.
gy, Psychology, Economics OF Market
ing, Household Accounts, Art, House
Construction, Furnishing and DecOra-
ton.
1t has been contended that good
cook or good seamstress could teach
the work required In the elementary
schools but that is past history. 1t is
now usually conceded that to teach q
subject we'll teacher must have much
more knowledge than she expects
to impart and teach much more than
the bare outline of the subject COW
ers. This is perhaps more true OF Home
Economics teaching than any other, 80
much of real life and real living is in
volved.
While the child is learning to make
baking powder biscuit or how to broil q
steak she is learning to work effectively
learning to make each movement count
In order to finish in the given time
learning accuracy by measuring care
fully to insure good notwithstanding
economy by using every bit of material
from the sides of the bowl-learning
sanitation by having hands, utensils and
towels Immediately clean-learning
methods of laundry work by washing
towels and dish clOths-learning dietet-
les by proper combinations OF food and
learning NUM- erless other valuable les
sons not suggested by the simple term
Cooking"
For this reason, an ordinary cook, no
matter how fine cook she may be, can
not qualify as an effective teacher of
even cookery-let alone Home Econom-
les. She must know her subject from
the foundation and be alive to it's posi-.
bilities as means of developing the
child mind along the various lines. She
must be able to correlate the work with
the other branches and give 1t distinct
ly educational value.
The time will come, and right speedi-
ly too, when Home Economics will find
it's place in graded courses from the
to the University. There
Is so much included and 90 many
branches involved that repetition 10 out
Of the question. The courses will fol.
ow one another naturally and because
If the preparation work in the element
ary and secondary schools the time in
college can be given to more advanced
work along the lines Of Physiology, Hy-
yiene, Dietetics, and the like.