The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-11-22
Women
What They Are Doing for
Country in War.

The practical outcome of organiza-
ton is, of course, the test of its use
fulness. Unless ii can do permanent
things, it is little more than an enter
tanning exercise. Are there signs IN
this wholesale cooperative undertake
ing Of women Of new. practical, and
permanent developments? It is natu-
raj that if there are it should be i'll
connection with food. 1t was To the
cry for raising more food that the
women first answered. 1t was to the
cry FOR conserving food that they an
lswered, even tn the extent of pledging
their written word to do all that the
food administration asked of them.
Their operations have varied accord
| ing to their localities. What was nec
essary in the city was unnecessary in
! the town. What the country needed
was u different thing from what the
rural district required. out of it all,
however, may emerge, in the not re-
mote future permanent food centers
and exchanges in city and country.
| 1t looks as if these exchanges might
become thoroughly cooperative COM
munity affairs, their expenses borne
by the community. their operations
conducted for the benefit of all classes
of the community, by managing
board. The first problem of the food
| raisers was how to take care of their
stuff. They must can, not only for
their own households, but for the
emergency relief of their communities
and of course to contribute to our
armies and 20 our allies. But any
such wholesale canning meant a com
mnnity canning center, and in many
places community canning centers
We're started.
Another imperative need was to take
care of the ver-crop that the pa
triotic zeal of the farmers and garden
ers had brought into existence. The
leaning center took on another func-
tion-gatherins up this surplus and
bringing it in to be put up. Right away,
however, it was discovered that it was
practical not only to can this over
production, but to exchange 1t. Thus
the canning center became a food eN-
change.
| The question of storage began to
puzzle the women, and in more than
one place the canning center had be-
come not only an exchange, but also
a storage depot where in the towns the
lpoor with little room may keep what
Ithey have themselves canned, or where
lthey can buy at low cost the canned
Isurplus: where the charities may look
for help, and where the Red Cross may
keep its jams and fruit buffers
Nor does it stop here. When the
thing assumed this proportion 1t be-
came apparent to the thoughtful in
certain localities that they must not
dislocate the commercial life of their
community, but they must somehow
work out a practical scheme of CO.
operation with the marketmen ana
dealers in fruits and vegetables and
they were asked Ia become members
of the food board. In more than one
place the community food center takes
lover at the end Of the day what the
ma rk ct man OF dealer has on his hands
THAT it may be eithers exchanged or
lcanned or given to the poor.
If We can build up democratic all
serving food centers, why can we not
intellectual and social centers where
lall women may grapple with communi
lty and national problems? It is MOTH
ing less than the Womans committee
aims to achieve. Certainly there was
lnever offered to women so wonderful
an opportunity for the exercise of
practical, voluntary service. 1t is a