The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-07-20
THRU WITH
"pEDDLInG"
FOOD CARDS
Woman Worker Says
Housewives lnsOlence
Is Unbearable
ONE CALLED HER
CHEAP CRATER"
Hoover Plan Bumped
BY Many MatrOns
and Maids

| experience as n volunteer worker
for anything and for the rest OF my
| life ! am going 10 be ever so nice
to every book agent and peddler
that comes 10 my door. invite them
in TO have tea, and all that sort OF
| thing" exclaimed a very tired and
| discouraged young North Woodward
matron after spending Thursday dis
tributing the Hoover food conserva-
| ton cards.
IF any one had told me that my
neighbor8 had the dispositions
found ont today they possess.
would never have believed IT," she
continued And thor manners Ye
gods! There amt no sich thing
With them.
Il was snuhbed, sat upon.
squelched patronized, and called
several unpleasant names. including
that OF cheap CRATER at some OF
the places called" pursued the
lady who, among her friends is
known az one OF the prettiest, best
dressed. sweetest-natured young per
sons who preside gracefully over
lovely home, husband and children.
as could be found in the city
When | allowed Mrs. G. 10
persuade me 10 take the cards for
distribution in my own block. altho
reluctant and with an inward sink
ing feeling about accepting the task,
/ did not feel that il would be very
hard after / once got up my cour.
age 70 do H. | had never done any
| thing OF the sort before | am not
club woman and DO not belong
10 any organizations and 90 have
tended pretty much 20 my own az
! fairs, and my acquaintance with
most Of my neishbors has been
largely that OF a pleasant bow. Now.
| ! feel how utterly insignificant
am in this world and that / really
have no right 20 be living on this
/ street AT all
when a door was opened 70 me,
| | Immediately gave my name and
address and said what ] came for.
which in itself should be sufficient
assurance that I had no intention OF
! stealing the brass knockers. or the
/ porch furniture. or asking the maid
! or mistress 10 hand over their
money and Jewels. found. how
ever, that the latter suspicion was
upptrmost Where ] was known to
the woman Of the house ] was asked
in mostly 20 have 10 listen 90 the
family troubles, or 20 answer ques-
lions about my own, but as for sign
ing the cards-wel. nothing doing
Nearly every woman declined TO
have the government interfering In
her household ARRANGEMENTS Mr.
Hoover was dubbed everything from
pirate 10 2 punk cook The maids
went the limit OF resentfulness.
They seemed 10 think that Mr.
Hoover was after their kitchen jobs
and held an accusing finger AZ them
for the wastefulness and overflow
ing garbage can with which most OF
the hired help nowadays Is quite
familiar. One insolent housemaid
informed me after being sent o her
mistress with the card that people
who went about the streets peddiing
cards were cheap grafters,' and
that could get myself on their
front porch right away.
"All this sounds like exaggera.
ton. but | assure you II IS the
simple truth. And it was right on
nv own street where everybody
owns their own homes and have
plenty of money and motor cars
and seem like decent, respectable
people Never having met many OF
them socially. | had no idea OF their
breeding. but | know now, ! assure
you. Courtesy and poliieness were
as rare as a perfect day in this wet
old summer OF ours.
And when | got home and told
my husband. he roared with laugh
ter. and like the rest OF his kind
said. Well. II that isn't Just like
women, anyway.
Detroit housewives are urged By
the Hoover food conservation pledge
committee 20 voluntarily register IN
tho city voting booths. opened by
the civic authorities for the pur-
pose. or in the downtown stores
where special facilities have been
provided thru the courtesy OF the
merchants.
ITO attempt complete canvass OF
the city within week WAS gigan
tic undertaking. but we did not real
ize how great II was until the last
few DAYS" said Mrs. G. Edgar Allen
chairman OF the committee And
vet IL seems that with thousands or
young mon registering in one day,
the women should be able 10 do as
much within week. Tho house-to-
house canvass. tho. IL a slow pro
cess. and We earnestly ask that De
troit women meet Mr. Hoover more
than half wav by going Voluntarily
10 the nearest place Of registration
and sign n cgrd. There Is no money
asked and 40 work demanded. only
moral obligation 20 stand back Of
and make successful the govern
ments campaign FOR food conserva-
ton in tho United States, that We
may feed not only ourselves but orr
allies"
In the opinion Of military experts
the registry OF the women or tho
country obtained thru 'hc pledge
cards a. second only I'm Importance
10 the draft registry 70 rs not sim.
ply an economy plan. but m often
sive war measure in every sense OF
ihe term. ia the opinion of Hetbert
Hoover. the T. s. food commits
sioner
Floctr{c Uphfs Roman candlp-