South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-09-08
BY ETHEL VI. PHELAN.

Probably there are no two wom-
EN- in the ci,y % county who are
so well fitted 20 be of use 10 the
women of South Bend and -. Jo-
seph county ir helping them 10 at
tain the highest degree of excel
lence i'm what is obviously "women's
war work as are the city and coun-
Is federal home demonstrators. And
vet there are probably no two wom-
on engaged i'm war activities adult
whose work there is so little known.
FIRST of an a short history of the
. home demonstration work i'm the
United States might be apropOs. The
nome demonstration agent is the
oUtcrowth Of the need of a person
to serve i'm such "A capacity in on
lection with the work OF the county
agricultural agent.
Some one has said the county
agent force might be compared TO a
system Of irrigation bitches tapping
the reservoirs Of agricultural infor-
nation which have been accumu
lating for half "a century in the fed
eral department of a%ericultuHe. BY
the agricultural extension act OF
May. 1914. funds were made avail
able for locating county agents.
Then followed the emergency food
production bill Of August. 1917. pro-
Niding funds whereby young women
ha ing practical home experience
ana special training in home eco
nomics. as home demonstration
( agents. might cooperate and assist
i'm national home betterment move
! ments I'm cities and rural districts.
Demonstrators Number 1,1t5.
Since that time home demOnstra-
tion work has progressed rapidly.
Every state i'm the Union has home
demonstration agents and the total
number is now 1,715. The salary of
p these agents is paid by the United
States department Of agriculture and
they report to the department
through the state department at
Lafayette.
Indiana in this. as in so many
war movements. ranks high among
the states. There are PC county
agents i'm the state. six city agents,
90 AAN btA1 tAN1ATNAAAN 10y 86EAANH
South Bend was the second city
i'm the state 10 avail itself of this OPP
p|ortunity offered by the department
of agriculture when it brought Miss
Leila O.. Ogle Of Terre Haute here
on Jan. Is. 1915. A county agent
had already been established here in
the person Of Miss NEE Richard
son. who began her work i'm the
middle of November, 1917. Miss
Richardson was the second county
agent placed i'm Indiana. Miss
Richardson's place has since been
taken boy Miss Juanita Mills, who
now serves i'm that capacity.
The cities of the state having
demonstration agents. arranged in
the order in which the agents were
appointed. follow Indianapolis,
South Bend. Terre Haute. Fort
Wayne. Evansville and Hammond.
Indianapolis also has an assistant
agent. OF the 20 county agents the
first was placed in Allen county, the
second in st. Joseph, the third in
Parke. and the fourth in Wander
burg.
How The Work.
The home demonstration agents
work through educational, social
and war organizations 10 improve
home conditions. They work in
tensively in home areas, train and
develop local leaders, encourage
community social life and seek 10
bring together constructive forces
i'm every locality.
The work of the local county
and city agents has been largely
along the line of food conservation
and it is i'm connection with this
most vital problem that Miss Ogle
and Miss Mills would prove a mine
of valuable information if the wOm-
Ell of the city would only avail
themselves of ST..
Both of these women have labor
eG untiringly TO bring TO South
Bend women the best and easiest
methods of following the precepts
of the food administration. They
have succeeded i'm reaching a large
number OF women but not nearly so
many as should be actively inter-
ested.
Miss Mills has reached the county
VOmen through existing organiZa-
tons such as home economics clubs
and through community gatherings.
Miss Ogle has effected an organiza-
tion i'm the city 10y which she works
through school districts. once a
month she visits each One OF these
districts and gives a demonstration
and talk on a timely foo c~onserva-
tiou or home problem.
Both agents have given countless
demonstrations of wheatless ana
sugdfless recipes, of the cold pack
canning process. OF the sailing. dry
ing. and brining of fruits and vege-
tables. They have distributed recipes
using substitutes. and lave endeay-
ored 10 solve any problems brought
90 them boy the housewives Of the
/ community.
To show Practical Results.
The practical results of their WorN
VIII be seen 81 the fair where they
viii have q booth i'm the east wing
OF the womans building. Several
business firms of the city have aid