The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-10-24
After Many
Years
More Than One
Way Of Serving
u Mates . Difference
Whose Side We're On
Rstionins Very
Old Stuff
By Z I. SHORT

By Z I. SHORT
MOT al thu defense Jobs are IN
~ the shipysrds, airplans fac
tories or other industrial plants.
In a community Just outside
Seattle the mother Of two children
Whose husband may be called into
service had an opportunity 10 OBJ
tain employment at = good sal
airy In 4 war production office.
The problem was what to do with
the children The day nursery
was out Of the question. Hiring
com p etsnt housekeeper who
would care for the children also
was out Of the question. Com
petent housekeepers were getting
more money and working shorter
hours In airplsne factories. just
anybody wouldn't do. for this
mother had ideas about parents
responsibility to children as well
ss the duty to help in the war
effort
Finally the thought came 10 this
mother that perhaps there were
many other mothers like herself
who wanted to work but could
not find any person with whom
they were willing TO trust the
children.
"Why don't I offer to take
care of their children 2" she
asked herself.
The next day she found several
mothers in her own community
who had the same problem. She
arranged to take the children to
her home and care for them dur
ing working hours. The children
are brought to her by the parents
on the way to work and picked up
when they return. She provides
breakfast and lunch and gives
the children careful attention all
day. For this service she charges
a dollar a day. which the parents
are glad to pay.
She now has all the "eight-hour"
orphans that can be accommo-
dated In her fine home and Is
making as much money as she
would get in a defense job. She
also has the satisfaction Of know
ing that her own children are safe
and that she is making 1t pos
sibls for other women TO make
a substantial contribution to the
war effort
Let's see-isn't there some
thing that goes like this;
''They also serve who only
stand and watt?
DELL1NGHAM PROGRESS, Of
u fetal organ Of the Bellingham
Chamber of Commerce, has an
editorial which comments on some
Of the selfishness exhibited by
many persons in their attitude to-
ward national activities and con-
cludes with this paragraph:
But II we want to be Ameri-
cans, then let's stand up and be
counted. Let's be Americans In
congress. Let's be Americans in
the labor unions. Let's be Ameri-
cans in the kitchens and the homes
and the factories, in every thought
we think and every decision we
make. Let's try to emulate the
boys on the Yorktown and the
boys of Squadron 8, and the boys
who are following after them.
Let's be Americans, not In a mar
row sense, but in the sense Of
free men so proud of freedom that
they have the courage to do the
things that are right instead Of
the things that are easy: Ameri-
cans In the sense that Abraham
Lincoln meant when he said: I
care not II God is on my side. My
constant hope and prayer is that
may be found upon Gods side"
DRICE and wage ceilings are
L nothing new on the American
scene. Back in 1777. in the Revo-
lutionary war. prices were gal
Looping skyward. there was general
CONSERVATION at the wages de-
manded by "mechaniks" and Ia
borers. and state Legislatures pass
ed acts For the Prevention Of
Monopoly and Oppression" which
empowered towns TO impose maxi
mum prices on commodities and
limit wages.
The old broadsides listing the
price schedules for the towns Of
Salem and Ipswich in Massachu-
sets reflect the eating and drink
ing habits Of the time. Even the
tipplers drank at fixed prices.
Flips Of West India rum sold at
10 pence a mug or bowl. and with
New England rum at s pence.
Toddies were the same price.
OF more interest 10 the family
were the prices fixed for food.
Milk cost four coppers a quart;
beef, grass-fed. four three pence
a pound, and Stalled four pence;
eggs nine pence a dozen. rice four
pence a pound, fresh cod one penny
a pound.
! hare only Just a minute,
OnIv sixtv seconds IN u,