The Republican journal., 1917-05-17
EVERY WOMAN CAN DO
HER BIT.
Sec. Houston Tells How in Appeal for
Thrift. Need Not Leave Home to Help
Feed and Clothe Armies in the Field.

| Thrift. Need Not Leave Home to Help
| Feed and C1othe Armies in the Field.
In an appeal ito the women of the
United States" Sec. Houston declared
that they can do their "bit' most effect
lively in the National emergency by prac-
| ticing effective thrift in their households
every woman can render important
service to the Nation in its present emer-
gency" says the appeal ''She need not
/ leave her home or abandon her home
| duties to help the armed forces. She can
| help to feed and clothe our armies and
help to supply food to those beyond the
seas by practicing effective thrift in her
own household.
Every ounce of food the housewife
saves from being wasted in her home-all
| food which she or her children produce in
| the garden and can or preserve-every
garment which care and skillful repair
make it unnecessary to replace-all lessen
that households draft on the already in
sufficient world supplies,
Must Plan to Use Every Bit.
ITO save food the housewife must
learn to plan economical and properly
balanced meals which, while nourishing
each member of the family properly, do
not encourage over-eatlng or offer excess
| Sive and WaSteful variety. 1t is her duty
to use all effective methods to protect,
| food from spoilage by heat, dirt, mice or
insects.
"She must acquire the culinary ability
| to utilize every bit of edible food that
comes into her home. She must learn to
use such foods as vegetables, beans, peas
| and milk products as partial substitutes
for meat. She must make it her business
to see that nothing nutritious is thrown
away or allowed to be wasted.
| eff only one ounce of edible food was to
be wasted or thrown away, each day, in
each of our 10000, 600 homes the amount
lost in year would be 464, 600, 600 pounds
1t takes the fruit of many acres and the
work of many people to raise, prepare and
distribute AGA, 100000 pounds of food a
year. Every ounce of food thrown away,
therefore, tends also to waste the labor
of an army of busy citizens.
Clothing is largely an agricultural
product and represents the results of
labor on the sheep ranges, in cotton fields
and in mills and factories. Whenever a
useful garment is needlessly discarded
material needed to keep some one warm
( or dry may be consumed merely to graf
fly a passing fancy. Women would do
well to look upon clothing at this time
more particularly from the unitarian
point of view.
Nursing Not the Only Service.
Leather, too, is scarce, and the proper
shoeing of armies calls for great supplies
of this material. There are only so many
pairs of shoes in each hide, and there is a
shortage Of animals for leather as well as
for meat. Anything that can be done tc
encourage adults or children to take care
of their shoes and make them last longer
means that so much more leather is made
available for other purposes.
Employed women, especially those
engaged in the manufacture of food OF
clothing, also directly serve their coun-
try and should put into tasks the enthu-
siasm and energy the importance of theil
product warrants.
"While all honor is due to the Womer
who leave their homes to nurse and care
for those wounded in battle, no woman
should feel that, because she does moi
wear nurses uniform, she is absolveo
from patriotic service. The home women
of the country if they will give theil
minds fully to this vital subject of fooc
conservation and train themselves IL
household thrift, can make of the house
wife's apron a uniform of National sig
nificance.
Demonstrate thrift in your homes anC
encourage thrift among your neighbors
Make saving rather than spending
your social standard.
make economy fashionable, lest it be.
come obligatory"