Evening journal., 1914-04-09
KEEPING House
OFF S4 A week
Kansas Women Open War
on "The High Cost Of
Living"
GET GOOD RESULT
FROM CLASS WORK
Written for the United Press.l

MA-NfiAl AN hdu.s April "a
scientific war-to-the-death fight
against that old bugbear. Mr. High
Cost O'Living. is being waged here
with little noise. but wonderful ef-
feet The Home Economics Depart
ment Of the Kansas State College is
preparing the college girl for Wife
hood and housewifery. Answering
the charge often heard. that the col
lege girl graduate knows lot about
social procedure and dancing, but
little regarding household duties, the
officials here are teaching college
girl grads TO keep house on 81 a
week, How it's done is told by a
member Of the faculty.
Every Department OF Household
Economics seems 10 have its unique
course. usually a much-talked-of
practical one. At K s. A. C.. this
is "The Dinner Work" II was in
augurated in the spring OF 1904. be-
cause of the desire TO make the lab
oratory self-supporting. At that time
sixteen members Of the faculty were
served-today A are being served.
Then the work resembled class work.
the menu being the same throughout
and the dishes prepared in the morn
ing laboratory class. Today the
work is given for the purpose of Civ
ing practical training In marketing;
In preparation and In serving of
meals; and II is in addition to the
usual laboratory work Of the course.
One OF the most interesting rooms
to visitors is the dining room with
its adjoining small kitchen the
home of the dinner work. These are
practically arranged for the work.
large dining room IN the centre with
four kitchens on each side opening
from 1t. Each kitchen Is fitted with
sink. work table. gas range. and
cupboards. containing the necessary
dishes and utensils for the prepara-
tion of the meal and the serving Of
four guests. The students take as
much pride IN its care as II Il were
really their own.
Until last spring members Of the
Teaching Force had always been the
guests in the dining room. but by
the request Of the senior students the
boys OF the graduating class we're
then given this privilege. The de-
partment publishes a pamphlet on
Table Etiquette aud Table Service,
which is I'm demand by those serving
and by the guests. The type Of meal
served IN the dining room varies from
day to day according to this ar
rangement--T Tuesday. Formal Din
ner; Friday, Formal Luncheon;
Wednesday. Informal Luncheon; I;
| Thursday, Formal Dinner Friday.
| Formal Luncheon. and Saturday, like
| Wednesday, and Informal Luncheon.
This gives opportunity for practice
in several methods of serving; FOR
the making of dishes suitable for
these different meals and for the use
of all left over materials. II also
makes il possible for the cook to
keep the total cost of food materials
within her allowance. The menus
for these meals are planned by the
cook of the week with the assistance
each day of the Instructor IN charge.
Many original ideas are worked out
/ especially In observance of special
days. Each table in the dining room
has its own menu and its own type
of decoration.
Two rotation schemes are employed
in this week-one with the guests
and one with the students. The
guests, on Tuesday, draw cards at the
] dining room door which determine
their places and their table COM
panions. These four together, then
pass to the next table on Wednesday
and to the next on Thursday. and So
on through the week. This gives
them variety in service and in menu
and also makes il a little easier for
the girls TO use up their left over
materials The work of the girls Il
divided into four parts. that of Cook
Assistant Cook. General Helper, ant
Waitress. Each girl does each par
OF the work for one week. passin;
from one TO the other in definite rota
ton. The cook of the week bear.
the greatest responsibility. Each O.
the other three girls has her certain
duties. however, which are quite
definite.
OF course the amount of money 10 b.
used is an important item. For tn
food materials TO be used in the servin.
OF the FIVE meals TO each four guests
the cook gets 81. A charge of 25 cent?
a meal for each guest is made. givin,
81 per week TO b. used for expense o
laundry, ice and fuel The cook doe
her own purchasing OF fresh vegetables
fruits and meats in the stores Of tn
town. A store is maintained i'm tn
building in order that she may purchasl
all other materials in the small amounts
needed These, called Department Sup
plies each cook pays for at the end o
each week These two sets of items arr
recorded in individual account book
There also is third group OF supplc
called the "Shelf Supplies These ar
the staple articles needed at hand whei
cooking. To estimate the amount anl
cost of such supplies used during tn
week, they are weighed out, weighing
being recorded. at the beginning OF cacl
week and weighed back at the end o
the week
The students are very much interestc'
in this part OF their home economic
work and plan for il months before the
! enroll In their drcssmaking class thel
make their waitress dress and apron
and in their color and design class the.
. make their menu and place cards Dur
ing the period OF time that they are en-
rolled in the course much interest i
taken in what the markets afford and il
the current prices of food materials.
Il is the general verdict among stu
dents that the dinner work is one of th
a.