Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-03-31
is THE farmers
WIFE A DRUDCE?
Problem Department OF Ag-
ricuIture Would
Solve
$500 LETTERS
HAVE BEEN RECEIVED

WASHINGTON, March 31--Is the
farmers wife to be pitied, or is she
to be envied. Is she an unpaid
household drudge working from be-
fore sunrise to long after sunset whom
her husband only married to save the
price that is the pay Of housekeeper,
or is she a happy, contented woman,
the peer of her city sister enjoying
all the comforts of civilization and
acquiring all the culture of the day ?
This is the problem that the De-
partment OF Agriculture has under
taken to solve. Last October Secre-
tary Houston sent out to the wives
of the departments $4,000 crop cor
respondents a letter which did not
formulate any definite questions, but
whose contents encouraged them TO
discuss freely and in their own way
any matters in which they believe the
government might improve the con-
ditions of rural women.
Nearly $500 replies we're received,
but these letters represented many
more, for in many cases the writer's
had discussed the letter with their
local organizations, their women S
clubs, their oranges or their churcn
officers. The letters we're in all forms,
some carefully typewriter state
ments. some were notes scrubbed on
the back or the margin of the secre-
tary's letter, some labOriously writ
ten on scraps of wrapping paper.
Some Of these letters in themselves
indicate the wretched surroundings
OF the writer.
In number of cases the letters
were signed by men who wrote either
on their own initiative or who duti-
fully recorded the views of their
wives. II is a pleasant feature of
the replies of the men that the vast
majority of them seemed to recognize
that the women on the farm are not
receiving their full dues and that inn
prOvements are needed TO make them
freer from unnecessary drudgery and
to make their lives more happy, less
lonely and more endurable. Letters
from men expressing selfish or mar
row views of the rural woman's place,
or resenting the departments en-
u0dNoI 10 ctiNt NuNih M'iN NAi'A' ~
acceptable.
The loneliness, isolation and lack of
social and educational opportunity on
the farm formed the text OF letters
from all parts of the United States.
Many of them we're pathetic. One wo-
man from Pennsylvania wrote;
Il know nothing as far as convers-
ing with neighbors. We have only
one neighbor and she is like myself
/ she has to 90 out in the field, plant
| hoe and dig. We have no time fol
anything, only milk and churn."
Another letter from /. woman II
Ohio is even more heartrending.
"In all these years ] have nevel
had vacation; never belonged to
club or any organization, and nevel
went to a church or to an entertain
ment. | have had no time 10 visit 3
neichbor. Just work early and late
You will wonder we get lonely and
discouraged. that We are ignorant
uncultured for our city cousin to
make fun over. and how we long &C
get away from the farm for good"
But. on the other hand. the women
on farms seem TO be happy and con-
tented. and it is noticeable that con-
tentment appears more in the west
than in the east Thus farmers
wife from Michigan writes, speaking
for her club:
"The women in the country do not
work any harder than women in town
do. Ii is a woman's own fault now if
she does not have a good time in the
countrv | think women in the cOun-
try have better time than women in
the city"
Another woman from Wisconsin
writes:
"Nomcn of this part. as a whole, are
well satisfied with their lot. Our socia
center is the church, and VIC try t'
abide by the Golden Rule in our daily
life. Most of us have a bunch OF robust
happy children, which keep the roug
corners smoothod down. We Keel
abreast with the times. Everybod!
with a shoulder TO the wheel; a grea
supply of literatm, on hand; plane
music in the house. We are satisfied
A man from Missouri writes a lette
which indicates a happy home;
"Without n word of comment, ! sub
mitted your circular TO the good womal
who presides over my household, and
inclose her response, which expresses m.
sentiments exactly. She is home body
and would feel bored at a meeting o
women assembled to air their griev
ances over the neglect of the govern
ment. With her own hands she ha
compiled fruits, ellies. preserves ant
butter enough TO last our family year
J l.fanrrffc unH lN
can broil slice of ham with rcd gray.
in the most captivating way. She ha
earned applause OF her society, whc
meets around her table three times
fdav and is very happy. She insists tina
She does not need to be coddled o
mollycoddled.