The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-13
Women Plan To Lure College
Girls to Country.
Lett Them Cook While Farm
K Women "CrOp."
MEETING HERE TODAY
ID. FOlker Addresses w. F.
and G.. Association.
He Tells of Work Women Are
II Doing in England.

10 make farm and farm kitchen
wo-k a fad among high school and
coifege girls was the formidable task
sus4sested to the Shawnee County Wo-
rnarfs Farm and Garden association at
a meeting today at the Chamber of
Commerce A d. Folker, county
far 10 agent. presented the plea to the
wonoen to help in getting more work
erslinto the rural districts. THE girls
who have been studying domestic
science in the high schools and col
legeS," he said, might be induced to
g. to the country during the vacation
and do the cooking on the farms in or
der. ito release the farm women for
ous-pf- door work. which they would
understand better than the town wo-
meh and would probably have more
physical strength for the outdoor
tasks"
oEjected that it would require as much
strength to cook for harvest hands
it you'd to manipulate much of the
fal M machinery. Mr.. 'F'olker thought
that; difficulty could be overcome by
pulling no. girls into the kitchens to
make up in numbers what they lacked
in Individual muscular power. "And
] think" he added. that the men on
the Farms could be talked into a pa
tfert acceptance of the professional
d JInestic science cooking at least for
the, Short summer season.
Make Patriotic Appeal.
lust how the plan Tor getting the
girls into the country is to be worked,
is not quite settled, but the allure
mefIts to the girls must be made so
strong to overcome the call of the
tennis court, the golf links, the front
porch with the light novel, and all 9TH
er occupations of the college girl in
the summer. Folker believes it can
be done, and that besides the pay that
will be coming to the workers, their
pat5iotic sense might be appealed to.
The suggestion that the girls from
town could not know how to do farm
work, was met by Mrs. Harry Forbes
who. thought that the Willingness of
the, young people to learn was the sig
niffcant thing, and not previous ex-
perience.
Folker spoke of the army of ESQ.,
900 English women, some of them
wealthy and titled, who had gone to
the land and were engaged in actual
farm labor in an effort-to help feed
tho five million men lighting the bat
ties of the nation. In the east,
FoIker went on, the people are ap-
paAed by the lack of understanding
in the middle west of the gravity of
the flood situation in this country. l
think that, on the whole, the west
has ttaken the matter with sufficient
seriousness and handled its problems
with greater sanity than those in the
eastern states. In the end we will
probably accomplish much as we
would had we become more excited
about it,
Form n Committee.
Folker also thought that the Farm
Woman'S association should have a
committee to bring together the
farmers needing help, and the towns
people willing to go to the country
10. offer their labor. He suggested
that the committee cooperate with
his office, with the state labor de-
fota Lob
administrator, e. E. Frizell, at Man
haitian He suggested that they also
make some arrangements for the
Transports ton of workers from the
town to the country, for those who
wished to work by the day, returning
to their homes at night.
''The lure of the high wages in
the cities he said, lis doing more to
take young men from the farms than
the draft is doing. AS a matter of
with board and lodging, is better.
more healthful and satisfactory in
every way, than the town job for the
job 1aborer"
Mrs. A T. Modlin, of Crescent
Lawn. west of Topeka, is chairman of
the Shawnee county branch of the
WOman's Farm and Garden associa-
ton, and presided at the meeting.
Miss Krigbaum, who operates a
forty-acre farm southeast of Topeka
was one OF the speakers of the after
noon. She spoke briefly of some
phases of farm work. and its suitable
ity as profession for women. Mrs
L. A Eddy, of the Wanamaker neigh
borhood, made a short address. Mrs.
Ford Robinette told of the possible
achievements of a city-bred girl on
the farm, and Mrs Thomas Owen
spoke on Back Yard Gardens" Mrs.
I. d. Graham told of flower garden
ing.
The association will meet at the
Chamber of Commerce one day each
month, for the discussion of questions
of interest to farm women. The chief
aim of the association this season will
be to assist farmers in getting help
from the towns, and to help towns
people find positions in the country.