Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-07
THE KITCHEN STERNLY INDICTED
Andy McGgan Presents An Argument Woman Suffrage
He Discourses the Cooking Combine and the Value of
Trusts-An Anachronism Awaiting It's Edison
By B. X. LITTLE

By B. X
last evening 1 called on my friend, Mr.
- McGillgan. His wife has been away for
the summer. So has mine.
The minute got In the door Andy and
exchanged a look of profound sympathy and
comprehension.
He took me out to his kitchen, where be-
held an impressive pile of stewpans. skillets
and dishes. the whole neatly crowned by
coffee-pot.
There" said Andy, with fitting gesture,
"is the whole argument for equal suffrage or
anything else they want Let's have
smoke"
Andy and his cigar lighted up simulta-
neousy I don't know of anybody who is
more completely the American citizen than
Andy. He is epitome OF the United
States. His observations on that account
have always seemed TO me irrefutable law
They certainly seemed to me so last evening.
His mind was full Of skilets even as mine.
Often" said Andy, IT have told my wife
that woman's place Is in the home. Often
she has told me that household cares are an
unmitigated bore and drudgery. believe I
have always agreed with her on that point
1 could afford to, for business is pretty much
the same thing. The great moments, the
moments when you rake in a profit really
worth while. don't come every day. The
rest of the thing is just plain, tame routine.
I've said as much to my wife was per-
fecty willing to agree with her when she
came right back and said that her routine
was a leetle mite worse than mine. But
never gave her that whole -souled, complete
accord, that unconditional surrender. that I
have since i've had to slick up that pile of
skillets and dishes twice this summer.
Eating 18th Century Meals
you and /, Blank" said Andy, ARE living
in the twentieth century. Our wives are still
living-and still worklng-in the fifteenth.
you know yourself how you'd roar II you
had to lick your own stamps at the office,
or sweep out, or shoe away the book agents.
We have Office boys to do that. But our
wives are their own ONCE boys to this day.
BY George. it's no wonder they are in re-
volt and want the earth. They deserve It.
They've been sent to college They've
had their minds and their desires licked up
to meet the complicated interests OF these
times. We train them for { ything else
on earth except the one worst thing on earth
there is left to do. They're the most in
tellectual ONCE boys in captivity. Captivity.
precisely that
an the outside world we have introduced
every possible invention OF the mind of man
to tighten work. TO speed up production. to
save human strength. Imagine what would
happen II 1 tried to take my shoe factory
back TO the old hand methodist Where
would be in one week. Well I'm the man
that keeps that shoe factory going. I my
self am kept going by my kitchen And at
the very basis OF all this progress OF ours
there's no progress whatever. I'm manu-
featuring shoes in the twentieth. but I'm
eating my meals in the fifteenth.
II tell you. the kitchen is a survival Of
the Dark Ages. We have deliberately per-
mitted It TO be what It is tell you. the
kitchen is calling for its Edison, its West
inghouse. its Henry Ford. for any man who
can make II a contemporary OF the times"
But what would you have him dor" said
l. appalled, before this stern Indictment
dol" said Andy. do for the kitchen at
least as much as we have done for dentistry
A hundred years ago. when the world and
the kitchen were younger, we used 20 read
by candles. And made our own candles. at
that. When you and came into this ROOM
what did 1 do7 l turned an electric switch
and Edison gave US light"
Dinners by Wire
"But you don't expect Edison to give you
your dinner and wash your dishes by the
turn OF switchr' said l. ashast.
why notfs said Andy. III one Edison
could knock out the candle. why can't some
other Edison knock out the stewpOt ana the
dishpanl
II see." said l. you want your dinner
sent TO you over q wire. But doesn't nature
stand IN the way7 You may hear over
wire ana see over a wire But how eae over
a wirs9" The thing struck me as absurd.
and lnkimated as much
Don't be silly, Hlqnk.r ssid he. The
thing 4 feasible. and rm perfectly serious