The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-06-22
WASTE OF WOMAN { POWER MENACE
 TO RURAL LIFE
Survey Shows Progress in Modernizing Farm Homes
 Lags Far Behind.


 Washington. D. C., June 2s.-The waste of woman power is one of the greatest menaces to the rural life of the Nation, according to deductions that specialists of the United States Department of Agriculture drawn from a farm-home survey conducted in the 33 Northern and Western states
 The records cover lo,o15 farm homes, averaged by taking typical communities of the counties in which the survey was made. Much of the information was gathered personally by home demonstration agents, who are the field representatives of the United States Department of Agri- culture and the State agricultural colleges.
 Miss Ward points out, from the facts shown by the survey, that a reasonable amount of planning and Well-directed investment in modern equipment for farm homes would prevent a large part of this wastage of the energy of the nations rural home makers This is a serious natter she continues. "because we have A live national problem now in working out the economics of eoun- try living in s1rc11 way as to make them satisfied to stay on the land [ greatest factor in bringing this about will be the healthy, alert, and expert theme-maker who will see to it that part of the increased income from the farm goes into Improvement Of the home. At a time like this, when the dearth of farm labor is limit ling factor in production, it is very doubtful business policy for farmers to use increased income to buy more sA raising standards Of aiving so that women and young people will not want to go to the cities in search of attractive living conditions and anuseneht"
 Picture of Farm WOman's- Work Day,
 The survey discloses a number of the reasons why many women do noe find farm life attractive. The work Ing day of the average farm woman, as shown by the survey, is 11.3 hours, the year round In summer, it is i1a.12 hours. And S7 out of each 100 women have mo regular vacation dur ing the year. On the average, the farm woman can find only Is hours of leisure during the summer and !on1y "A hours in winter Ha1f of Nthe farm women are up and at work at o'clock in the morning
 
 kitchen, but the other per cent must go to the spring or the pump to bring the water for cooking break fast Ttnrty-six per cent. help with the nnilkinE. Ou the average, the farm wo1nan has a. 7-room house to keep i'm 0rder- Sewenty-nIne Der cent. hawe kerosene lamps to trim and till. Ninety-six per cent do the family washing, about half of them having washing machines and the other half doing the work with tub, wash-board, and boiler Twenty-sK per cent. have gas or electric irons to make mnre comfortable the task pf ir,oning Ninety-two per cent do some all of the family sewing Camden work is dome by 56 per cent, 94 per cerrt. make all or part of the fanniFy bread and 50 per cent. have churnfng to do. Fighty-one per cent. of all poultry noeass are cared for by women. One fourth of the farm wo- men help to feed and bed the live stock. and 24 per cent. of them spend over six weeks in the year assisting with sorne part of the field work All of fl1ds is i'm addition to cooking the family meals and caring for the children
 This, of course, is inc dark side ot the shield. It does not take into consideration the many compensa- tiors that come with the woman's daily round of work for the comfort of her family, and anyone who has experienced the satisfaction of living in the opem country knows that the average farm " woulam is more fortu- nately placed than her average city sister. But the task is sufficiently grinding, as M iss Ward says to senc the farm woman 10 bed @'breathing a prayer that her strength may be equal to tomorrow's duties.S
 1abor-Saying Equipnept Important
 N,haa is to be done af,out it2 The department suggests some very defi. mite things. 1.-The interest of the De- pSartnaent of Agriculture in the re. turns from these studies as to labor working equipment, and conpen. sations of the farm woman aa;e a practical.'' says Miss Ward, "as it: interest in farm studies reSard din $ labor, machinery and crop returns and for the same general reason The farm womam'S working hour. might be shortened, she continues, i: the princfples of modern bushes! were applied to the farm home Running water for the 61 Der cent who now must carry water, ana bath Eoofns for the 50 per cent. wht now have none are other things thas wOtAd Tighten the W,OtnanS 1abot add to her comfort and contentment Labor could be lessened if the farn house were as we'll equipped as tn up-to-date barn, which the farme, looks upon as so much currency witt which te1 buy efficiency. The install lation of modern lighting system would release some of the tim of the women in the TS pc cent.e of homes where kerosel lamps are used. The initial cos would be small when weighed agains convenience and comfort. The install lation of heating systems would re lease some of the time of the 54 De cent. of women who care for tw coal or wood stoves.
 'AS power on the farm is tn greatest of time and labor savers fo the farmer" Miss Wards repoI says, "so power in tho home is tn greatest boon to the housewife. F'orty-eight per cent of farms GOV cred by the survey reported powe for operating farm machinery bU only 22 per cent. have this advantas
 for the home. That" says Mis
 Ward, 'is a singular fact when "
 consider that frequently it is a simp7