Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-19
"A WOMAN'S WAR ON MANS
IDEA OF HOUSEKEEPING
Is the Average House in Washington Built With View to
the Convenience of the Housekeeper Who Will Occupy
It? What One Woman Thinks-Meeting This After
noon of the Housekeepers Alliance.

The modern House That Jack Built Is
the object to which the war on waste"
of the Housekeepers' Alliance will be di-
rected at the meeting scheduled to occur
this afternoon at 2:3O o'clock at 1906 Goth
street northwest.
This meeting" says Mrs Thompson,
the president of the alliance. sis meant to
be just little woman's war on mans
idea Of what housekeeping is. This idea
built in the walls Of our homes. makes
some Of the housekeeper's most difficult
problems. The meeting to consider do
nestle economy in this connection is
really by special request Numbers Of
women have begged that something be
houses and apartments. Just what the
women mean by this is deliciously put in
the following letter:
d" My Dear Mrs. Thompson:
"T am specifying below some Of the
objections 1 have to the kind Of houses
that are built for us to live in. don't
own 1t. SO feel perfectly at liberty to talk
about it.
The stove is in a corner-lovely stu
ation!-and right beside the window, so
that one either goes without air or has
the gas blow out every other minute.
"T The sink. which is about six inches
too low. is also In a corner. with only
one draining board. so that after wiping
a dish one has to turn completely around
one wants combination spigot one pays
to have it put in, because I have yet to
see a sink that was fitted.
Why are we afflicted with the beauti-
ful green tiled spaces in the wall under
the mantelpieces? I do not care for man
telpieces, anyway, and I certainly do not
admire the sheet Of metal, in bronze eff
feet. that is supposed to conceal tho fire.
place that isn't there.
Wash Tubs and Coal Bin.
why are the wash tubs within six
feet Of the furnace, SO that every time
one shakes the furnace or puts on
spoonful Of coal the clothes are busted?
In this connection. why is there no allow
ance for a coal bin somewhere near the
furnace? My bin is at the other end of
the cellar; and. although may start from
the bin with shovelful Of coal. I arrive
at the furnace with three humps.
My gas hot-water heater is in the
cellar to be near the laundry tubs. instead
Of the kitchen. although / wash dishes
three times day and clothes only once
a week.
81 have lovely glass chandeliers for
electric lights, but there is no provi-
sion for gas in the dining room, living
room and front hall. so that when the
electricity fails I retire to the kitchen.
The light in my pantry is SO high
that I have to climb on a chair to
light 1t. I do not recommend climbing
with a baby in one arm.
Fortunately I have no thresholds
downstairs. but upstairs these relics
still interrupt me every time try to
make clean sweep"
"a spigot is placed at the water en-
trance to the house to enable one to
cut of the water. but there 10 no way
to cut it off only upstairs. etc. So that
when one has the toilet fixed upstairs
In the bathroom the cook in the kitchen
and the laundress In the cellar are left
without a drop OF water. It should be
only matter Of a couple Of stop
cocks.
doors that open the wrong way are
ever-present. Hospitals have round
corners-why not houses? Why il the
best place in the room always selected
for the radiatorf Why II NO provision
made for such labor-savers - vacuum