Evening star., 1928-03-04
By JAMES NEvIN MILLER.

A N official spokesman represent
~ the Bureau of Home Economic
"A Of the United States Depart
4 n mcnt of Agriculture. "Aun
Sammy" is her name and Strt
is getting TO be we'll known and we!
come radio personality.
On an average five times a week sf
conducts a series of radio chats from
some 80 different radio station!
throughout the country. Foods and nu'
triton, household refrigeration meth
cds. clothing and budgets-all thesi
vital considerations Of the really u3.
and-coming housewife are discussed
verbally by Aunt Sammy
Indeed. she possesses such remark
able zest and facility that one day soon
she may annex the popularity honois
which have attached themselves these
many long years to the person Of her
official spouse, Uncle Sam by name.
Something like four years ago the
Bureau of Home Economics came into
being as a bona fide economic unit OF
the Agriculture Department. Four
years is short space of time, and IN,
new feminine governmental unit has
been handicapped severely. so far. a
least. as District affairs are concerne%
by the fact that ii is situated at unlos
Station Plaza. remote from the ccntc'
Of Government activities. Yet TO-DAY
the bureau is carrying on as II It hadn't
q care in the world and certainly with
no concern about the fact that 1t Is
but an infant in the vast and compleE
machinery of the United States Govern
nent.
The fact is. the bureau is regula'
beehive for action. Every day hun
6redS Of letters must be answered, an
bulletins sent to housewives from Main
to California. from Florida to Alaska
And. as if that were not enough. tes'
and economic studies are going on al
the while-concerning chemical compo-
sition Of food materials. food consunlp-
ton habits. housing and equipment
suitable designs for children's clothing
Improvement of home methods of food
preservation and many more of equa'
importance.
The housewives thrill that comes
more than once in a lifetime is when
tiny Johnny. anxious to look spick and
span. so as to please his exactin9
mother, spills shoe backing on the
parlor rug-or when little Mary. mo-
mentarily away from mamma's watch
full eye, spreads stove polish on her
nice new frock. Parents ought to know
what to do to remove the ugly stains
and they need handy source OF in
formation for the purpose. With the
kindly aid of the bureau, they need
but to glance at pages 26 and n In
stain Removal from Fabrics" and In
short order the home fires will once
again burn brightly and the house will
regain its neat appearance.
LOW many people really know how
to take the guesswork out of roast
ing meats? Practically none. Yet,
even the novice at cookery may Vie
with the experts II she will but use
meat thermometer Thereby she ma
cater to the most exacting needs OF he
fam:ly's palate-whether they woul-
have their roast rare, medium or We
done The trick is to obtain regula
ton meat thermometer and insert !
into the center of the roast just be-
fore placing 1t into the oven. Thus
she need worry no more as to whether
Il will reach the precise stage OF done
ness" she most desires.
Then there Is the question-always
present and always perplexing-wEa
foods are best for little Johnny am
Mary? Growing fast. and rompine
about with their playmates. the aver
age youngsters seem TO be always
hungry. not only at mealtimes but In
the intervals between them, particu-
larry right after school when the youth
full enthusiasm is pretty much at its
height The trouble Is that In the
past too much emphasis has oeen
placed on what the boys and girls
ought not to eat and too little on what
they really need. The best procedure
To follow. therefore, advise the bureau
experts, is that the mother arrange
carefully three attractive meals that
furnish ali the needed substance and
something equally palatab.e to serve
between meals.
Every family is interested III getting
the best possible results from It's IN
come Business experience has shown
that 10 do 50 is necessary In order 10
make systematic checkups OF profits
and losses: OF poor purchases and sue
cessful ones: TO plan ahead Tor expan :
sion and 70 cut down overhead so
Is with MANAGING the family money II
is not enough 10 write down ilst OF
miscellaneous purchases and add them
up. For really practical purposes m
formation must be classified under the
headings Of food. housing. clothing
anc the rest, and at regular interval
the amounts spent under each heading
must be scFutinizcd.
But the average housewife is either
too busy or Is not particularly quail
fed TO devise a workable budget Sys-
TEN. SO she will welcome the new;
that the bureau has Just Issued loose
Ieaf household account book devised b.
Mrs Charles O. WooohoIse oi the
economic division Each group Of ez-
pendiuures is kept on a separate page
With concise directions as TO what
kinds OF items should be entered under
each head
Other features o! special interest are
forms Of yearly estimates OF incom@
and expenditure; a summary OF prop
erty owned: and pages for notation
o. insurance and Investments. Ike"
wiH there are special forms for tfn
rural hotnenlaker on which ~ record
products furnished by her farm. a*
wei! as supplies preserved and canned
ri home. The accoun. book, known as
the Record Of Family Expenditures,
is available al a nominal Zee.
mIOUEEHOLD Refrigeration and III
Relation W Health" Is the sub
iect u an important series of economic
and scientific Investigations now being
cgnd1c,ed by the bureau The study u
q cooperative project. financed by bca