Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-22
MISS EDITH BAER
he Home Maker Of the Future"

~" HC FVOIHC-"dNCI W t'C ese'~
TNHE woman of the future must be a home
i maker and good one at thas, IS the
opinion of Miss Edith Beer, assistant pro
fessor Of home economies in charge OF the
newly created department ut the University
of Pennsylvania.
With the Inauguration OF this course at
the University. putting the science of home
making on college basis for the first time
in this section, Miss Baer believes that m
important step has been taken toward dis-
nifying this department and giving It its due
IS vital feature in our everyday life. The
course is for teacher training, but ultimately
il il hoped to put it on a broad basis III
every high and elementary school.
with the passage of the Smith Hughes
bill the legislators recognized the Importance
of this subject. when they guaranteed teceral
aid for schools in agricultural and vocational
trGinng and home economics.
"lf the educational forces now at work
achieve their aims the woman Of the future
will be a homemaker in the fullest sense OF
the word. The principal difhculty with me
average woman, whether she be housewife
or not, is that she is likely to fall into one
of two classes, both having great limitations
and both reducing the amount OF happiness
which they could encompass If they were
moro rounded out
1--WE have always had the old fashioned
woman, one who was good housewife, In
IL clean, did the cooking and the household
chores and MECHANICALLY, so far as it was
uossible made what was considered domes-
tic woman. But often she so neglected her
self and her other duties that she was merely
n drudge and did nothing in the fullest sense
of the word to make a home.
Need a Happy Woman
''The other woman never ctrcd for the
home. at least not the work of it. but was in
teresting, a charming companion and in
many other ways added to the happiness OF
the home But she was often wasteful anu
cxtravagant. with no sense OF values, did not
eyceI in the domestic arts; in fact often
knew nothing Gbout them and, Furthermore,
did not even wish to.
"Jynfortunately only too many of this class
have developed in recent years. 1t must he
remembered though, taking 1t from any
angle. that the home is fundamental in
stitntion, and no matter how far we may
wander from it, we are forced sooner or
later to come back to it.
''We have to try, then, to develop the
means between the old fashioned slave, who
snent all her time in the home and none of
II on her personal development, and the
pleasure loving woman OF TO-DAY, VINO IN
her inordinate pursuit OF diversion neg
iects her plain duties and threatens the
existence OF our most cherished institutions.
''Tbere Is every reason why the woman of
TODAY and tomorrow should be a thorough
bomemaker. one who attacks 1t as scen.
tifc problem. both in its practical and its
cultural aspects. We are getting ready to
eay good by to the dependent woman who
somaht a husband rather than mate, be-
cause she needed home. and we will soon
welcome as in fact we have already well
coined, the independent woman who is able
to earn her own living and manage her own
affairs and Incidentally the affairs of others.
Round Better Equipment
"Whether she have home with husband
and children, or simply n place for herself
aione. the home making art will be equally
uaInahle TO her. There are endless possi-
blities for the trained homemaker. She
can at all times make her own living and a
good living and run her own establishment
at the same time:
'She is more independent and therefore
hetter equipped to choose her own course
in life and follow it up SUCCESSFULLY II
she choose a mate, as in the course Of nat
Tral life she likely will, it will be her own
cbo;ce and not u matter of expediency.
There will therefore in all likelihood
h. fewer i'll advised marriages and more
real happiness In the home. Whether she
bas n home or not, whether she chooses one
ar not, the average woman will be a more
capablc and charming woman, and withal
a more understanding and cOusidcrate one
Il she is trained as a homGmaker
.'When one considers the waste due TO
uisr,ansgement and lack of training In tho
average woman, the economical saving of
a generally trained womanhood in the art of
homsmskius Will bA ct pnnA Appasank