The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-03-01
THRIFT TALK
MARY AND HER
KITCHEN SINK
THE ARRANGEMENT OF KITCHEN
SAVES MILES OF TRAVEL FOR
WEARY WOMEN - SOME BUSl.
NESS MEN LIKE MARY.

Mary is the wife of country store
keeper. She keeps the house. takes
care of the children and helps wait on
the store. She works hard-harder
than her husband, and he works
harder than he should
Up to the present they have had
few of the conveniences of life. Water
came from nearby spring, and the
housework was done under distressing
conditions, owing to the greed of the
landlord. He finally agreed to put
in the improvements so necessary to
human comfort, and Mary's life prom
ised to be easier. The problem was
where to put the kitchen sink.
Now, Mary had favorite rocking
chair that had mortgage on the
corner. Next came the stove, then
her kitchen cabinet. To put the sink
in the corner would disturb the rock
ing chair, and that would never do.
The stove and the cabinet
could not be moved; therefore it was
resolved, after much deliberation, to
put the sink in an adjoining room, in
dark corner thirty feet from the
stove. This, of course, meant miles
of walking every day for Mary, but
she could find no other way. But
kindly inclined friend, who could
study a job, suggested moving the
cabinet just one foot and putting the
sink between the stove and the cab
met, where it belonged. 1t was done,
and behold, Mary is happy, rested
woman.
Now. what is the moral of it all
Just this: Too many women walk too
much on their jobs, which job con
sists in getting the housework done
in the shortest time and with the
least expenditure of energy Why
should Mary,-why should any wom-
half a mile in getting din
ner? A pan in one place, pot in
another, flour, sugar and salt in an
other. Back and forth, to and fro, |
and for what? Wearing out shoes, !
carpets and nerves, just because the
kitchen sink has not been put in its
place. The thrifty workman studies
his work to see how he can cut it
iOwn, keeping tools in good condition,
Jut near by.
A certain business man in New
York cannot dictate a letter He
writes it out long hand, and has his
copy it. His telephone
; on the wall, twenty feet from his
iesk, which is piled high with old
etters and papers. He has to hunt
o find things. He is wasting time,
lerye force and patience, just be-
.ause he cant get his kitchen sink
right.
The problem of all business-from
unning home to running railroad,
is to cut out waste of time and
material, to get kitchen sinks where
hey belong. Lost motion is costly,
t racks the machine, human as well
$ inanimate. Mary would have car
led her kettle from the stove to the
ink in the dark corner dozen times d
n washing the dishes. Now she !
oesn't carry it at all. She has solved l
er problem. c
Your problem is the same in essence. {
earn how to use the telephone, the /
typewriter, the carbon sheet Learn a
here to keep your tools as well as
ow to keep them. Study short cuts. i
Eliminate false steps. DO things the
asiest Cbut the besD way. Save your ,
trength for useful purposes. Study c
our job, whatever it be, for whether a
be tig or little, it has the problem e
f Mary's kitchen sink, and lucky for 0
ou if you get it in the right place fl