Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-12-14
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION FOR
WOMEN

place in which not only character
but in which we teach morality and
develop the physique of the nation.
| For a long time we have felt that
We were the most progressive and
| successful people in the world. Lit
| tie did we think in those halcyon
days that any considerable proportion
of our people would ever be found
defective physically. 1t was. there
fore, a startling surprise to all of
us to discover when the draft law
went into effect that one-third of the
supposed flower of the manhood of
our nation had to be assigned to the
ineffective class. Furthermore, it
appeared that many of them were
suffering from conditions brought
about largely through the consump-
| ton of an undesirable dietary. In
other words, the nature and variety
of the food provided in the home and
the manner in which it was cooked
and served was responsible to con-
siderable degree for the alarming sit
uation portrayed above. Under the
circumstances, a presentation of
some of the facts regarding instruc-
ton in home economies in in the
United States is highly appropriate
at this time. 1t is only recently
that work of this character on a ma
thought necessary.
The passage of the Smith-Hughes
act represented the first effort made
to encourage work of this character
through federal 'subventions. Under
the terms of this measure, national
and state vocational boards were APP
pointed. One of their chief func-
tions was to see that teachers of
| home economics are trained in our
| land-grant institutions in sufficient
numbers to meet the requirements or
| the situation. Evening, part time
| lished. Up to the present time 296
evening, 62 part time and 3O2 all day
| classes have been established. In
many states only a beginning has
| been made, and in the states where
| the law is functioning most success
of the women and girls are being
reached. Of course, the greatest
progress is being made in the states
which are most densely populated,
with the exception of Utah, which
has more all day schools in proper
ton to population than any other OF
| the states. This is greatly to her
credit. and shows an appreciation of
the Importance which economic in
struction is to play in the develop
ment of the people of the state that
will stand her in good stead in the
future.
When the Smith-Hughes bill was
passed. we were so little concerned
about home economics instruction
that it was inadequately provided
for in that, measure. AS result,
funds are not available with which
to carry forward the home economics
work on the basis provided for in
| no q
and industries. For the training or
vocational teachers in all three sub
jccts covered under the terms of this
measure, an equal amount OF money
will presumably be available on June
80, 1921. On the other hand, there
will be available for the salaries of
vocational teachers Of Zee a SzE fp1:
trades and industries, $1,277,O73:99
and for home economics, only $780,
414.6O. Viewed from another angle.
we find that the amount aVallaDle
for the salaries of teachers per ST.
600 made available from federal
funds for the training of vocational
, teachers is as follows: Agriculture,
! S1.94O.27; trades and industries, ST.
$3.50, and home economics, $391.lS.
In other words, a living wage and a
desirable salary have been PROVIDED
for teachers Of agriculture ana
trades and industries; whereas, TINS
condition does not hold true in the
case of home economics teachers. To
prepare for service along home eco
Monies lines is just as costly nd
takes Just as long as would be re-
quired of the teacher of agriculture
| or trades and industries. The nome
| economics teacher must have as hne
j personality and possess as much In
| d1vidual capacity as the teacher OF
! 70 and industries,
1t is manifestly impossible to eX-
pect home economics education to
make proper progress or to develop
and accomplish the ends 1t is ex-
pected to serve until it is placed on
| the same basis of remuneration as
applies to the other phases OF tne
work which the federal and state
vocational boards have in. charge
The present situation is entirely
anomalous, and does an injuctlce tc
the home and home-makers which
must be corrected at the earliest pos
sible moment.
This matter is of such grave i'm
nortance to the national welfare that
a bill already been INTRODUCED
in congress which seeks to amenc
the Smith-Hughes act to the extent
of placing the funds made aVallaDIe
| for work in home economics on the
same basis as that of agriculture and
| IraQ0S ana luuuSll I1NSi
should urge the passage Of this bill
with the utmost expedition because
even then~we have only taken a short
step in the right direction.
y Population figures for the last
census are not generally available
as yet, but even in 1910 it would ap'
pear that there were 10,850,581 male
and 1,SO7,501 female individuals en-
ploye4 in agriculture. In trades ano
industries, the figures were as fol.
lows: Males, 12,239,9S3; females, g.
268,271. The women in the homes OF
the country at that time numbered
26,476,94O. These figures represent
women of eighteen years o. 0e ano
over not engaged in any wage-earn-
ing capacity. Our population figures:
for the census period just closed
show an increase, but, OF course
there has been transference o. q
considerable portion of the rural
population to the towns and cues
1 feel quite certain, however, thai
the percentage Of women in the home
Will be found relatively the same
when the new census figures nave
been worked out and tabulated as
pertained in 1910. AS the situation
| exists, based on the population f1g-
ures Of 1910, there is less than !
Der cent per capita available for the
training of women and girls along
home economics lines. The amount
per family for this purpose reaches
the grand total of one and one-quar-
ter cents. These figures should sci
us to thinking along constructive
lines in the matter of home econom-
les education. Certainly the least
we can do is to pass the Fess bill
and remove in some slight degree
the present handicap which has been
! inadvertently, no doubt, placed on
home economics training. According
to the federal vocational board, the
federal funds available for expendi-
ture in evening classes as they per.
tain to home economics for the fiscal
year ending June 80. 1919. was $23,-
24115. For part time classes, So
1927. For all-day classes, $780,
344S4 This represents an increase
of $55,S48.20- over the previous year.
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