The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-03-05
THE WOMAN
WITH THE PALS

No pump. No pipes. No faucets.
That's the way things still are on
nine forms out of ten throughout GER
tain whole stretches of American
countryside.
The woman with the pals is the
water-works system. Slowly, weari-
ly, time-killing, health-killing, from
well-curb to kitchen floor, from floor
to stove, from stove to bench, from
bench back again into the yard, she
lifts and carries the water-supply;
and ION wash-days," said an engineer
in the United States department OF
labor, II would calculate she handles
a half-ton of it. In an age OF ma
chinery But"
He turned to me with eyes when
had changed from those OF the en-
gineer to those of the missionary.
ut isn't only water. It's hundred
other things, too. A hundred other
drudgeries which keep millions of
farm women going round and round
in the same spot instead OF going
forward. They should be making
better farms, more livable farms.
These drudgeries of the women are
keeping the men back. They are all
keeping agriculture back. And they
could all of them be lightened and
many of them entirely removed by
lust a little demonstration of better
methods
Demonstration! That's the word!
1t will shape and color all the use
of all the money to be psent under
the new Smith-Lever law. And that
law may yet turn out to be the larg-
est singlt event in the history OF
education of women. Look at the
size, the money-bulk of it:
1t will give the one state of Penn
sylvania more than quarter OF a
million of dollars every year out OF
the treasury of the government at
Washington. 1t will give all the
state. put together, more than four
millions of dollars every year. The
states must come forward, then, with
four millions of dollars of their own.
So when the Smith-Lever law is in
full operation there will be eight and
a half millions of dollars every year
for what?
For agriculture, says the law, and
for Home economics"
The Delineator has been CORE
spending with the colleges OF ag'
riculture of the various states. AL
the Smith-Lever money will be spent
through those colleges. Through
them it will go on its way tothe oper
country.
Note the word through" Not
cent of the Smith-Lever money mus
be kept by the colleges for the educa
ton of the boy and girl students II
their class-rooms. Every last tricklt
of it must flow out into the countr!
for extension work." for field dem
onstration work"-among the farm
err and the farmers wives; the big
gest single appropriation ever mad'
anywhere in the world for the educa
ton of adults-to teach people hoV
to make better farms and how tt
make better homes.
Well, how are the colleges plan
ming for the homes?
Some of them most generously
Others, we regret to report, aston
ishingly stingily. They can't see wo
mans work. They still think of
as being fifth wheel tot he world
on-moving masculine wagon.
And one untamed male educate
tells us that all, of the first year
money is urgently needed to emplo
men agents to teach agriculture i
the various counties of his state. an
he doesn't see how any of it can b
spared to employ home economic
women agents.
No use being indignant. He
probably quite right. Yes. Quit
right.
Probably the men have spoken u
for their share and the women have
MT.
The outside world of today is i
self becoming "womanly." And neve
again will women be able to max
good homes, the best homes, withol
demanding the "womanly'' facts an
the "womanly" ideas which the ou
side world now stands ready to col
tribute.
Did you ever can a COW? You wi
pardon the abruptness of the que
ton. But there was Q cow dov
in Louisiana which very well illu
trated the fact that Uncle Sam hir
self is nowadays quite amply equi
ned with "womanly" knowledge al
skill And in what Uncle Sam is a
ready doing for the woman-on-th
farm you may see the prophecy, tt
reliable prophecy Of the kind of wol