Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-10
Mans Work Has No More
Stimulation Than Woman'S
but He Has More Hobbies
and Keeps His Mind Fresh
BY MRS. C. FREDERICK

NEW YORk-The other DAY
was shocked to read in a magazine
of unquestioned Boston repute that,
Judging from the intelligence tests
applied to enlisted men, a majority
of our male population consists of
morons. OF course, you know.
Mary Jane, that moron" is an
adult whose mentality is that of
normal child of twelve years or less.
The author gave figures from
army tests proving that 80 per
cent of white men at army posts
had a mental age of nine years or
less; that At per cent were rated at
the mental age of twelve years. and
that if we counted the entire negro
draft a considerable majority would
be of the moron type" She
therefore concluded that if our to-
tai population were subjected to the
same tests we would find "a clear
majority of our adult male popula-
ton consists of morons." Poor men,
feel sorry for you!
Mention of the word moron"
also brings to mind the claim of
other serious psychologists-that
| there are more female "morons"
than male. Worse still, that more
| 'morons' are to be found among
housekeepers than among any other
class of womenr' Poor women, I
! pity you even more!
Challenges Statement
Is there something inherent in
homework to keep women feeble
minded" Past experiences with
Nora who broke the dishes, and
Hulda who burned the food, would
lead one readily to believe SO. Does
! exclusive devotion to basting the
roast or boiling the clothes prevent
a woman from advancing past the
mental age of twelve years? Again.
| judging from my experience with
some "flappers" of the present day,
they would not rate even twelve
| years of age in Binet test their
housekeeping abilities. BY the way,
| just as soon as I have a moment
Of spare time, am going to COM
pile my own Frederick Intelligence
Tests for Housewivesr'
! But letting all this pass, let us
discuss the effect of household &C.
equations on the mentality of the
woman worker, and inquire why
| pairing potatoes or darning socks
makes one a mental defective" I
if I did not rise to challenge this
astounding assertion and to attempt
to prove that homework is no more
responsible for low intelligence than
any other form of work.
eff Mrs. Brown is a moron" and
Mr.. Brown is not Exactly what my
psychology friends says, the reason
for it is not because Mrs. Brown
bakes biscuits at home, while Mr..
Brown balances his books in the Of
| flee. All, no! The cause is not in
the baking Of biscuits or making
beds or sweeping floors, which make
up the eight hours of Mrs. Browns
day.
I firmly believe the cause is to be
found in Mrs. Brown herself and not
at all in her occupation.
AS far as 1 can see her husband
has just as mouetonous and drudgi.
flying tasks adding columns of fig
ures, placing papers in a file and
sitting cooped up all day at a desk,
as she has when her piles of dishes
cooped up in the kitchen.
One Big Difference
But there is one big fundamental
difference I see between Mr.. and
Mrs. Brown, and 1 am glad to call
it to the attention of those who say
that many housekeepers are
"morons;' both may have daily jobs
of equally grinding monotony, but
Mr.. Brown has varied interests be.
yond his daily job.
Women seem to refuse to believe
that the majority of men work at
tasks or jobs or occupations which
are the nth degree of routine.
Women in the home all too often
imagine their husbands working in
a rosy glow Of pleasure and inter.
est. They contrast their own house.
work duties and think Of themselves
as having the worst of the DEAF
because they are forced to stay in
the home and do monotonous tasks
while the man has it easy" How
far this is from true portrait!
Who will say that driving a milk
wagon is more stimulating" than
driving baby buggy? Who will af-
firm that tipping bills for your EN-.
ployer is more wonderful" than add.
ing up your own bills from butcher
and baker Who will claim that op-
Grating a drill or lathe is more
thrilling" than operating a cook.
Ing range? No, mems jobs are not