FOR WOMEN POOR HOUSEWIFE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 302, 21 December 1943, Page 5

FOR WOMEN POOR HOUSEWIFE

'NO GAS" PROBLEM SALADS FILL THE BREACH (By "SYMPATHY.") On top of the most difficult Christmas shopping period for some years, in enervating heat, housewives now have to cope with gasless stoves. They will feel a new comradeship with British women who had to do without gas for temporary periods during the blitz, and like these women Auckland housewives who haven't hot water jugs or coal ranges, but rely entirely on gas, will no doubt be invited by neighbours to share the traditional "cup of tea." Unless, of course, tney follow the example of one Auckland girl who boiled her kettle over a fire in her backyard this morning. There's just one good thing about the whole dismal prospect. It's summer, and many families prefer salads anyway. Those who don't will just have to grin and bear it. One young Auckland mother was frankly pleased—"Thank goodness, I shan't have to cook now. They can have lettuce and tomatoes and bread and butter." But she did relent when small son said wistfully, "But Christmas Day will be awful without our roast turkey and hot plum pudding." It would, rather, she agreed. In our home, we searched frantically for a cutting we had remembered seeing in the Star about fireless cookers. Big sister, not knowing much about these things, thought it sounded perfect, until she found the cutting, and saw that you had to have the food hot, before you put it into the box, when it. went on slowly cooking from there. "It's just helpful when the gas supply is low," she said sorrowfully. "Not when it's dead out."

Using the Radiator Then we joked about the radiator. It's sort of a little radiator, so that when small sister said we could cook on it, mother whooped, "Put a roast on that, with its half-dozen bars!" Sister explained gently that she merely meant a small meal, a snack that could be dished up from a frying pan. The third thing we remembered was the electric hot water jug, whose plug needed mending. Why it hadn't been done before was one of "those things," but here and now was an emergency when it would have to be done. Up the road shot sister, on her way to town, and offered the cord to the girl in the electrician's shop with an appeal, intended to be disarming, that the plug might be done by lunch time, so mother could have a cup of tea. It worked. Of course, the situation isn't funny at all. Salads and cold ham, if obtainable, tongue or luncheon sausage, may do beautifully for the next few days, but most people will want a little bit of turkey or fowl, and hot plum pudding on Christmas Day. Aiid the position may be tragic for hospitals and disastrous for restaurants and big industries. But can anyone tell me, why does the housewife have so many inconveniences to suffer? No wonder men would rather be out in the world all day, than living the difficult life of women in the suburbs!