The Pleasantville press., 1924-02-27

creuSe tne cOHlloTts Oh country living
In the United States, to fnd means TO
make more contented the people wao
were living at a distance from the pop
ulous centers, and to do other things
in behalf of the ruralite.
There was some resentment at the
time the appointment of the commits
sion was suggested, but II died away,
and when a few of the findings had
been given place in the public prints
there was general applause of the ef-
fort.
The report of the rural life commits
sion finally was printed by private sub
scriptlon, but 1t never received the
circulation that would have been given
1t. If the government had put 1t out as
a public document.
Now there has been incorporated q
noncommercial organization with Her
bert Hoover as president for the pur-
pose of securing better homes for all
the people of the United States who
need them. This effort is not to be
confined to the rural communities
where, as matter of fact, many If
not most of the homes are better than
those to be found in the cities.
Better Homes Week Announced.
DIR. James Ford now on leave of ab-
sence from Harvard university, is the
executive director of the organization.
His aim is ito help the man of small
income to learn how TO live in more
comfort, more health, and with more
certainty that his children will regard
the home as the center Of interest"
The week of May Ills has been des-
ignated as Better Homes Week
Communities are being c:ganized on a
nationwide scale to prepare exhibits
of homes properly planned, built and
furnished. 1t is said that no CONNER
cial features of any kind will attend
the exhibits and that all efforts will
be confined to services for the indl-
vidual home owners in the communi-
ties at large.
To the guide book of the Better
Homes plan Herbert Hoover has writ
ten a foreword. He says among other
things:
"There is danger that the shortage
of homes which was occasioned by the
great war and the increasing drift TO
the cities may deprive an increasingly
large portion of our population of the
inestimable values which lie in the
true homes. Through organizations,
however, it is possible TO increase the
amount of available housing. 1t is
,,occihIa apd dooirahlo olco 10 maintain
and develop high standards, not only
of safety, convenience and comfort, but
also of privacy and beauty which may
be expressed in the house itself, its
equipment and Its surroundings"
Zone definite objective" Doctor
Ford said in outlining the purposes Of
the movement, twill be the inclusion
in high school curricula of required
courses in home-making and the care
of home. The aone sure product of
every school is an army of men and
women who will head homes, yet for
this most important function in life
there is often not even a pretense of
practical training"
Bits of Valuable Advice.
A host of simple but collectively I'm
portant ways to improve small homes
are being recommended by the group
behind the new organization. that aid
ed INFORMALLY u. tbs settiy -of sp-
proximately 1000 Better Homes ex-
hibits in 1923.
Here are some of the prosaic bits of
advice:
Put the kitchen sink under win
dow so that the homemaker may en-
Joy the fresh air and the beauty of
nature while engaged at necessary
household tasks.
Put rollers on the kitchen table and
save about fifteen miles of walking
month for the housewife.
Place your bed in relation to the
bedroom windows so that you can have
plenty of fresh air without draft.
Dedicate the sunny south bedroom
to your children instead of to occa.
sional guests.
Build your house so that the living
room and dining room constitute one
big room. Then your daughter can
have dances, parties and other social
events at home instead of somewhere
else.
Give the housewife the share of the
living expense money which should
come under her jurisdiction, and let
her be responsible for the budgetine
of 1t.