Evening star., 1926-11-09
THE BUSINESS OF GETTING
AHEAD.
Should the Wife Work?

The answer Of this riddle In do
mestio economies depends on the atti-
tude of both the husband and Of the
wife.
Standards in regard to this problem
are changing, and the husband who
agrees that his wife should continue
in business is no longer looked upon
as queer. Not until recently. how
ever, could a healthy man who per
mitted his wife to work retain his
self.respect.
In the last analysis the problem
must be approached from the special
circumstances prevailing in a par
ticular family. 1t is difficult for q
woman to be an en1cient and satisfao-
tory housewife while also holding
down q full-time outside Job, although
the trend Of new Inventions and Gus
tom ia making the dual role more
feasible. In the large cities the re-
cent development of apartment hotels
with communal kitchens Is providing
q new set Of living conditions which
have enormously simplified house
keeping.
Electricity Removes Drudge.
holes in fashionable hotels, recent in
ventions have taken much Of tho
drudgery out OF housekeeping. With
immigration restricting the supply Of
servants, electricity Is obviating the
need Of as much human labor in the
home as was formerly necessary. Elec-
trio dishwashers, washing machines.
irons. vacuum cleaners. electrical re-
frigerators-these are the new devices
which are revolutionizing1co 10 onditions
in the home and giving housewives in
prosperous families more leisure.
The only housewife who faces
problem as to whether she should re-
main in business is the type which
does not have to. Where necessity
exists. the question answers itself.
Where, however, there is an oppor-
tunity for free choice the chief eco
nomic argument to justify the woman
in holding her Job is the fact that al
though the family can live on the
husbands income, the supplementary
income Of the wife, If saved. will aug
mont the family surplus and pre-
pare 1t for contingencies. enabling IL
to get ahead. The potential working
period OF the wife is frequently
limited. When she assumes the ad-
ditiOnal Job Of motherhood outside
tasks may seem burdensome and in.
appropriate.
When family circumstances, such
as the obligation to rear children,
make outside work inadvisable for
the housewife. she should receive a
bookkeeping credit in the imaginary
family ledger for her services as
housewife and mother.
Should Have Budget.
Specifically, she should receive from
the breadw1nner a regular budgetary
allowance for meeting household ex.
penditures. instead of being compelled
to get funds piecemeal from her hus-
band to meet every outlay. The wife
should by all means get an opportu-
nifty to play a constructive role in the
family thrift and investment program.
She should be consulted in investment
matters or at least informed concern
ing the financial operations Of her
husband, which vitality affect her in
terests. Part Of good housekeeping
should be the obligation to attend to
the bookkeeping phases OF the family
investments.
II a married woman does not need
money either for present expenditures
or for the family thrift account. she
Is perhaps foolish to take a routine
business Job. II her object is merely
the desire to express herself and be
useful. she can probably find moro
stimulating outlets in social service
work. in art, or in literature. but in
any particular case the decision will
be conditioned by the tastes. talents.
and opportunities Of the individual.
The woman is unimaginative indeed
who sticks to an uninteresting Job
when she does not need the money
merely because she fears the even
greater duliness of being idle. Being
socially useful does not depend on
punching q time clock or standing in
line for the weekly pay envelope.