The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-08-17
Household Hints
From an unsupported Source
By SALLY E. DAVIDSON


By SALLY e. DAVIDSON
The unsuspected source being
man, few Of us would care to admit
! that anything he might have to say
about the art of home management
could be of any possible Importance.
Yet I believe that Roger w. Bah.
son, whose keen foresight has
brought him world renown as
financial prophet, has seen and read
Alright the writing on the wall con-
corning future changes in the home.
Few of us have the courage to
face things. Mr.. Babson knows this
and for that reason has summed
liz up in a very clear manner in
recent article which demands the
attention of every forward looking
woman and man.
1.-THE recent development of labor
saving machinery and implements
for the home. together with the
huge increase in the manufacture
of food products. are fast changing
modern life," he writes. These
changes will solve one of the most
distressing problems disrupting the
American family.
I'VE men have moaned about the
disappearing Of old-fashioned home
cooking, the old-fashioned wlfa and
all the rest of the sentimental VIC
iousness which has made women
bear extremely unfair burdens. We
lament that our young girls are
not now trained to make bread, but
why should they make bread any
more than should their mothers
weave cloth and work in the fields
as did their grandmothers?
Some Rebelled
up until a few years ago the
kitchen with the hot cook stove,
hands red from dish water. backs
aching from floor scrubbing. wash
ing clothes, sweeping, beating rugs
and all the rest of it, was a fact.
Some were brave enough to rebel
against it, but there it was and
women accepted It. although most
of our mothers aged ten years be-
fore their time as result 1t has
seemed to me as preposter0us a
situation as If business men had to
wash the corridors. empty waste
paper baskets, clean the windows
and do all the other necessary but
mental and uniting jobs. Although
such jobs must be done, they should
be done. by those who are not
capable or do not care to do more
intelligent work.
~ am still old-fashioned enough
to believe that woman's place is in
the home, but let us make the
home attractive and eliminate from
it drudgery, Ionesomeness and
suffering. Marriage and raising OF
children would be encouraged by
making the life of the mother easier
and more attractive /"
These extracts were taken at
random from Mr.. BabsOn,s article.
but each possesses a measure that
is a challenge and q hope, which
it is difficult for us to ignore. It is
fact that most OF us are victims
Of precedence. We feel that since
our mothers had to do so and SC
we should not rebel against doing
1T, never realizing that real pro.
gress lies in discarding all such
tasks for which a simpler method
OF accomplishment has been found.
We must remember that our moth
ers did as they did because there
was nothing else to do. I am GER
tain they would not have continued
had some other simpler methods
been found at the time.
No Urging Needed
Personally, am of the opinion
that women generally do not need
urging to forsake these drudging,
disagreeable tasks. but that we
consciously or unconsciously are al
ways deferring to our husbands
standards, and the yardstick by
which they measure our capabilities
as housekeepers and mothers is OF
the mother used to do or make
variety. Hence our present pre-.
dicament.
But even il this does not apply
in every case, which, of course, it
wouldn't, we are not all fortunate
enough to hire help or to be able
to equip our homes entirely with
electrical labor savers and stock
our pantries with the best prepared
foods which would simplify all our
homework and cooking. We can,
however, make a start and If neces.
sary acquire one at a time on the
partial payment plan such neces-
sary labor savers as the electric
washer, ironer, fireless cooker,
cleaner and some of the small
appliances which will simplify the
preparation Of breakfasts and other
light meals by enabling US to pre-.
pare them directly at the table
Stocking the pantry may be dc
complished by watching sales of
first-class canned goods and buy.
ing several cans at a time. This
may increase the weekly budget
81 or so until the pantry stock is
fairly complete, but eventually it
will effect a real saving, which is
always the product of wise buying.