The Redwood gazette., 1939-11-30
SIXTEEN REDWOOD COUNTY RESI-.

tuition here.
They found about 80 girls learning by
actual experience the practical, necessary
processes of housekeeping with courses
available also in other means of earning a
livelihood.
The history of the Fairmont project is
this About a year ago NYA authorities,
sincerely anxious to do something for girls
of the nation comparable with the CCC pro-
gram for boys, discovered the former Mar
tin county poor farm was housing several re-
lief families who could be accommodated
more economically elsewhere and prevailed
upon the county commissioners to turn the
institution over to them for an experiment
in schools.
Obtaining the support of county boards
in ten other counties, they drew an enroll
ment of about three girls from each and be-
gan course of training quite unique in
American education-although why such a
practical curriculum is SO seldom offered is
difficult to fathom.
From funds of the National Youth ad-
ministration, the girls are paid small sal
airy for work on practical government pro-
jects such as sewing and tOy-making, their
manufactures distributed among relief
families in the ten counties. The girls pay
for their board and room at the school and
have left approximately $13 per month with
which to buy clothes and other essentials.
Their work occupies relatively small
part of their day, the remainder of the wax
ing hours being devoted to housekeeping,
preparing meals, washing dishes, washing
and ironing and to school work. The ambit-
ious lot of girls which the school drew found
time to paint the interior and otherwise inn
prove the badly run down county home, ma
terials being furnished by the county.
In doing, the girls are also learning. By
shifting from one job to another during
their six months in school, they learn, under
supervision, cooking, mending, washing and
ironing, cleaning and many other household
jobs with which the average bride has only
chance acquaintanceship-od too since 80
per cent of the nations young women are
married before they are 25. z .
Such practical household arts as shop
ping, what meats are economical, how to
prepare banquets using inexpensive foods,
the planning of health menus, making use
of leftovers and all the other tricks learned,
if at all, by experience in most households
are taught the girls by capable instructors.
Encouraged also are habits of prompt
ness and neatness. Their day has health
full routine, rounded with the proper amount
of playtime, worktime and rest. Privileges
of the girls, and their whole life, is not un-
like that at a small college dormitory.~
We were entertained at dinner at the
school. The meal was simple, but as tasty
as the most fnicky could demand. The table
was covered with oilcloth-no frills-but
everything was spotiess Efficient students,
simply but neatly dressed, waited on table.
Afterwards we inspected the neat dormitory
rooms, the wOrkrOomS, claSSrOOms, kitchen
and laundry and heard the aim Of the Spon-
sors, the courses offered and other matters
pertaining to the school discussed at length.
Whatever calling the girls may follow
after completion of the six months course,
the training in home-making is invaluable.
If they marry at once, as many of the girls
do, better managed home than otherwise
is certain result. If the girl works while
before marriage she is trained for several
jobs for which previously there was no
training available except experience.
Any restaurant with a waitress posi-
tion open would welcome one of these girls.
They are also trained to be saleswomen,
completing the course with actual experience
in cooperating Fairmont stores. Any who
take jobs as domestics can ask and earn dou-
bic the average wage paid maids without
proper training. Office routine is also
taught girls interested in this type of work,
and all get sewing, English and other
courses of practical value to any girl.
! The experiment has worked out so
schools are being sought The NYA officials
have in mind the Redwood county home for
school which would accommodate about so
girls, drawn from 20 counties.
Two of the county commissioners were
along on the trip and the story they will tell
at the next meeting of the county board is
SO forceful that it is likely the home will be
made available.
Even without this opportunity to make
good use of the building there is some
doubt whether the county home should be
maintained. Since the Inauguration of the
old age pension program, the population at
the home has gradually been reduced to 16
which is well below the number which can
be economically maintained there. Many
counties have closed their homes because
pensions are often preferred by the reci-
pients and are cheaper method since the
federal government pays half and the state
third of the pension, leaving the county to
furnish only one-sixth.
There is no doubt but what the school
xuould ho f1pa oconnnoic accot to tho com