Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-07

about it, II we have a central lighting plant,
why not central cooking plant? It's being
started already. London department store
run by an American by the way-has be-
gun TO advertise neatly cooked dinners,
served at your door, piping hot by speedy
autotruck delivery. The menus are attract
i've and the prices are low. Can't you SEQ
the cost OF living reduced by some gigantic
cooking combine, able to buy its oysters by
the million, it's steaks by the ton and buy
ing on short time and large discounts? All
the economies of big business are possible
in the cooking industry. And your dishes
called for by the same autovan next morn
ing. Why not?"
IT'S a glittering prospect" l admitted.
But" I grudged, what about the poetry
OF the home and all that sort of thing2'
Wont the poetry Of the home get It's
chance only when you've knocked out the
prose OF the homer" he came back at me.
Poetry" he sneered Just look over the
situation. When come home tired and the
steak is tough, 1 intimate as much to my
Wife Couldn't l really curse 1t out much
more effectively if / were railing against
some Rockefeller OF the roast? One reason
why the American people tolerate the trusts
is in order to have something TO fail, some-
thing to indict.' Would the evening be spoilt
and my wife made unhappy if brought the
responsibility of that tough steak right
straight to the door Of the cooking COM
bine?
Shakespeare and the Coffee Pot
Besides, the chances of a tough steak
would be fewer. The combine would be able
to buy its steaks by the carload, hang them
till they were green and cook them when
they were tender. They might have bar
gain sales In steaks. They might own their
own radish farms. 1 see in my minds eye
whole State planted in radishes by the
cooking combine. They might buy up the
sardine output. They'd employ cooks bet
ter than you and 1 could afford to hire. Wed
have Ritz-Carlton fare right in our own
homes. even on Monday evening. They'd
corner the watermelon crop a year in ad :
vance. Wed hear of futures in beets and
carrots They'd have schools for walters.
You might have sent to you, along with
your meal, waiter able to spring a few
vaudeville bits or talk a little Plato.
"And meanwhile" said Andy, in italics.
the burden Of planning the meals of keep
Ing your cook weet-natured, OF seeing the
dishes well washed, would be gone from the
house-and gone from the world. Poetry?
Poetry would come in at the door, along
"ANh NAO lIOIil central. i would
root the kitchen entirelyl" Andy decIaimed.
I'D send 1t back to the Pharaohs where It
belongs. tell you. marvel at the patience
OF women. They have stood still in the
kitchen and watched us pass on. Why do
we have the servant problem9 Because of
the Kitchen. Why do we have so much
divorce? The Kitchens largely TO blame.
Our poor women live with one hand on
Shakespeare and the other on the coffee Dot.
Their aspirations soar TO the clouds. while
their feet are In the kitchen sink. They
cry Tor emancipation. Emancipation from
what? From the lard can and the dishrak.
Where was the equal suffrage movement
bornf In the pantry. Giving them the bal
lot is a mere trine. The important thing ,s
not what we give them. but what we take
away. Pluck out that foul spot, the kitchen
from the fair lap Of civilization. Every rune
on the ladder Of women's success is slippery
with kitchen grease. ."
Andy was still talking on like that when
l left at IL o'clock. But win say that !
agree with him.