Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1920-07-30
Saving Steps for Women
by Frederic J. Haskin.

tackled by the CtateH feihhlViis |'i ~ -, -
the Department ~ Agriculture me
woman who makes only one unnecessary
trip a day-say q journey outdoors 70
wood box that might be close at hand
takes probably 100 steps. That means
80. 800 unnecessary steps IN year, or
more than Elk miles. OF course, every
body wastes more energy than that'
These figures merely show how II couhtS
up. H.,
Year after year, women. especiaiiy
those on farms, 20 on mechanically USING
badly arranged kitchens, cooking WITH
crude utensils, carrying heavy tups ain
buckets. IT il taken for granted that
tractors or anything ~ advance the real
business interests Of the establishment
should be purchased But VIC stu scarce.
Iy realize that half hour day saVe1
by the cook is just rs much matter o,
dollars and cents as the same time saved
by paid employe.
While the iaboring man n demanding
a six-hour day and "A iive-day week tf'
average country housewife puts ~
| thirtecb-h hour dav in the summer ana n
| ter-hottr day in the winter, and sunday
/ IL almost rs strenuous as any other day
| for her. Practically all Of her thirteen
hour day il spent IN actual labor some
Of IL in managing two or three Iobs NJ
I - -
/ once.
! FEW nyER HAVE VACATION.
A survey Of typical farming counties
/ Of thirty-thrce northern ana "esVerh
States showed that rs q rule The women
not only cook. but do the sewing chlHn-
| ING. washing, and cleaning, and some help
| with the live stock and IN the heids as
| well Only thirteen per cent reported
that they ever take vacation WIN
| such an intensive domestic program the
| yula IN the country. and With more house
wives doing their own work IN the CITY
il ia easy To see how tremendously m
r,ortant Il Is for women 10 save steps.
The extension workers Of the Depart
rnent Of Agriculture figure that the mouse
wife should try ~ cut down ncr woT ~, :.
day. with eight hours as q goal ms
would leave eight hours for her 70 read,
visit and spend with her husband ana =
children The eight-hotr day, u IS
explained. can be approached by saving
every unnecessary step. II means pan
ming m organization.
Jne way in which women are prodigai
Of their energies is that they stand eoo
much. When the cook stands before q
work table il IA apparently q slight
effort ~ walk across the floor a dozen
| tirncz n, get a knife or some IngTedient'
But r. a high stool Is kept by the table
ehe scpy1 becomes accustomed 70 slttinR
while she mixes dish, and al the same
time sbe finds IL advisable 70 collect
things before sitting down, because y
really il an effort To get up ior them
Even ironing can be managed from
stool Of the proper height Ahd u
connection with ironing the ex'ehslor
. agent suggests that special auhdry
, room is a great convenience hf'n ~
.s,,or II should hes a. cool a. possible
Tho hoard sho,,ld 10 kept in q definite
nlace preferably hinged 70 the VAL
Then II does not have 70 be hunted loi
or carried around.
In their travels around the country ",
agents find that the old provero'
rlacf for everything, and everything u ~
Tlace " 4 more quoted than practlcec
4 oreat many hotsekeepers nave thei
, Kitchens fitted out with a single seJ
shelves where everything used n tnet
cooking Il dumped, with more or les
pretense at order.
, NEARLY ALL MANAGE BADLY
An irrprovenent on this system Is 9
have separate shelves for cooking EQUIP
rnent ingredients, and cleaning Inatefl'-E
z SAIL more energy is saved for better us
: Il the different shelves are near the piac
,,ttbe-a their contents are used mus
sheIf close TO the stove would hold tnlne
: - e. the process Of cooking, such 9
ge.aqoninv -four. fat, salt and peppe
shakers. The government investigate
s find that not one woman n tnuuS'lLi
Loans. more than one set Of salt and Eeppt
Il shakers in her kitchen il, !
e Whenever possible shelves sho'lid
high enough 50 that stopping Is uniltce
eaTv This Is most desirable as regar'
II shelves where heavy equipment = .heP
q This does not exactly save steps %.
helps IN conserving energy, Iof ever -. =
she stoops the housekeeper mas y InL =
weight Of the upper part 81 heI COY !
in moderation, but most women get gun
enough Of it without their equIpIneI
rnakinr II a part Of the kitchen rout'h
s really potent step-savlng device
tho wheel tray called the tea wagon Whe
coInnany IS present. This rolling IRA
car. II economy demands It, DC MADE
home ont of some wood and set OF caste
Tho idea i that instead Of making L
n,,rnerable trips into the dining room
set tho table or bring IN the dinner, "
load ,lp the tray and move everything
once This is possible because the trs
ton when lifted reveals = contalner Tor u
family pleats. and there Is q drawer neio
tbqt * for the silver 4 shelf below ina
and the top, arc used TO hold tne Toe.
The trav again comes INTO use wheh q
meal is cleared away The eXVensl'
agents say they have often seen woIn'
vine one or two dishes and then VS.
twenty feet 10 put them away, ana con
back TO do two more, and 50 on thFouS
out the dishwashiDg for family
\ rolling tray has only two limitation
II is not needed in 3 very small apar
mont and Il cannot be used where the
are steps between the dining room Al
Kitchen But this is the one place,
the house where it IS most important IN
steps should not be. The Departme9
of Agriculture feels so strongly on II
matter that it suggests that where ste
have to be mounted IN transporting to'
they should if possible be removed.
II i admitted that this IS not always pra
# ticable, though In many cases the eXpen
# would be well worth the result. \
# only do stairs draw on the energies OF q
# housewife, but in such a position tn
II are unusually dangerous. A SURPRISING
# | large number Of people are killed
# injured yearly by falls on staiTways, az
# where steaming hot food and glass a
# carried the danger Of misstep Is
Il creased.
i LARGE KITCHEN A MISTAKE.
# One interesting fact brought out