The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-03-07
Frederic Haskin's Letter
Biscuits and Bargains.

WASHINGTON, D. c., March D.
whether soggy biscuits. unbalanced
dinners, and bad bargains can be
legislated out Of existence 10 .
question which the last congress
smiled and frowned oyer and finally
passed to its successor. The COM
mittee that Investigated the need
for federal assistance to train
housewives was readily convinced
Of the worthiness Of the cause. But
the bill providing . government
fund for home economics courses
got pushed aside in the final rush
Of imperatively important legisla-
ton.
The bill is not lost, however. It
il sure to come up in the next con-
gress; possibly at the extra SEES
sion which is expected in April. 1t
is not an expensive measure rs ex-
penditures 60 in congress. but 1t is
q bill of far-reaching importance
and one that offers an opportunity
to every state, and it is being urged
by a dozen big national women's
organizations and any number of
state organizations.
The foundation for the home
economics bill is the old story-or
several of them:
Twenty-six million Of the 50,000,-
900 women and girls in the United
States keep house, and as home
makers these $4,000, 900 women con-
stitute the largest class of workers
in the country. 1t is further esti-
mated that more than nine-tenths
of women keep house at some time
in their lives.
More than 80 per cent Of the buy
ing for the home is done by women.
Nutritive food in the proper pro-
portions, sanitary home conditions,
economy in the home, are the
basis Of Americas, or any county's
health, wealth and happiness.
But there is a negative fact OF
equal importance. The house
wife who is SO largely responsible
for the American digestion and
bank account is for the most part
an unskilled laborer, whereas with
training she might properly class
her work among the professions.
| Homes Badly Run.
The home has been called the
most costly institution in America
and it might equally well be called
the most inefficient. 1t Is largely
because of unfortunate home con.
ditions that we have with US, juve.
nile delinquency, malputriuon, in.
digestion, the grouchy business
man, and other problems"
Up to now it has been taken fol
granted that the home-maker gol
adequate training as a girl in hel
parents home, or, failing that she
picked up housekeeping naturally
by experience. II a girl elected t.
delve into the technical business Of
calories and budgets at school, vel
and good. She was merely round.
ing out her education with extra
accomplishments.
This idea of how housekeepers
should be made is losing credence
partly because housekeeping ha:
become a recognized field for sci
ence. and partly because the home
school of household training i,
practically extinct.
Rarely is a girl given thu
thorough training in household az
fairs by her mother, like tn,
daughter of the house a generation
or two back. Mother is generally
too busy getting through will
Homework so as to make time fol
clubs and politics, and daughter!
well-meaning offers to help max,
the pies are apt to be met with {:
districted Il can do it while In
showing you how"
Girls themselves, We are told, ar,
more interested in home economic
now than they have been for sew
eral years. Girls by the thousan,
have deserted the kitchen rang
for the factory bench, and II the,
have to keep the home fires burn
ing too, they pick up something
sketchy on the way home and Elk
out the meal with canned good
and raw fruits.
Women Want to Learn.
The greater concern over house
keeping, now being displayed. Is at
tributed to the wave Of econom,
and the reduction Of wages. 1t i
not, however, a return to the oil,
housekeeper's viewpoint Of bsfcr
the war. Women are beginning t
accept what home economics ex