CO-OPERATIVE KITCHENS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 16, 14 October 1907, Page 3

CO-OPERATIVE KITCHENS.

Nothing-is >of more'interest to women thari-somb;-suggestion:.'ofr-a way, out : of .the servant. difficulty,-, whothor, r it.be by .the .back .door, or .the frontr'and an article,'iri'whichilrs-Onar-lotto''.Perkins'':Gilman deals .with'the , cve'rlast- ■' in'g"''difficulty ; 'in 'her usual 1 brilliant way, , > is worth'y-'of -the' position of honour.given, it , by e-loiidingi.Anierican ;; magazine,;,■because ■ she ' therein 'japes - suggest /.that ; a. practical remedy. Y may.be.found.,..-■.;•.■;!,■■;>;:■.Y-,Y,[ r ; •■ .-■• ■■■.■.• <£' - : -Sirs;- Gilmari, begins by criticisingjthe atiompts "at"-'c'o-operatiVe/''hdiisekee'i)ing'/;Maib '•"lißve. ; be'en;rinade,,;'and 'that,. have"; invariably proved unsuccessful/ 1 and^she shows that-this is becausojthoyjhav.o'justibeen. an-.attempt. to do on a largo scale, and by means of inefficient housekeepers, what v -is''sb'ofteniu'nsuc : ' ■'■"' oossful .even on .a small,scale,with good house■wives:;.,. The co-operative •housekeepers should. ■ npfc, she. say v persist; in regarding housework, as/;aiv.essqnj;ial ,partr,of ihome-makirig.;-; Once; lippnVa.timp'-everything for. family, ' •'''lifeilbad.Vio, be,! [done :[ m ..'.the.-; h0m0 , ,; and ,even' : hasvtaken from: •the.i.family ( .ninety-niner: hundredths .: of ,its ' whilomjbecupationsyrthe family still/clings [on, to .its;,one dwindling of primeval ,in-.i dustry as stoutly as if it had never lost, anythingsY" So convinced; are.'.we. .of ,tho[identity • .• of-love arid- marriage, of -marriage, .'and-..the fa,mily/,or/the,.family.;andithe,.liome, .that' if, oripji'daringly.•:■'.'suggests.,.the, ; -,elimination, of. ■ housework,'; .run ■'" back,; uj) ,'the.. bracketed' cry:'i'_.This I;^ivvilli ruin.,,the,.home'—, treak-up/theifaniily^dstroy/marriage-jban-. ,- ish. Jove. , '.. r.But-,home '.docs [not, imply, house-, w6rk, I ,JiWhen..we sing;with'tear's[in ,our[ eyes, ■ and.[a[f.catchi'in' pur .'voices"/,-';fJEomeV .'.' sweet. ';homoJ.'thefe's;np.[plac^ '.\mean,.' I '-fio^sewor,k,.sv{eet : hpusewprk l .'there's [ .i; \,, : , '_..-'.[ Y.-'.•■'.' Mrs,. Gilmari,.would .lea^e'r'^the/sep'arate , . ■ family,;in ■■ the,[separate home ; and take thehous'ew.ork;put. of,it ) yand,'..as it is'-respdnsible', fqr^"Jihe. greater';part of ; the " the. . kifchjen;'niust go.' [;[.iut,-the.private,dining-; . ■ roonvjwill remain. l .[[ldng.-Vaftor,.' / .'the l privatd, kitchon. hasViolldwed, the; hand-loom [and the' , epinning-wheel.intp.. wider [fields.'. , ' , ,;■ .[■..;.; . .■•.. Mrs;',Gilman- advocates.the,establishment . of. kitchpns[.where: food- ;will. ; be. Tegularly prer. . ■ parecl;.ifor, i , / a;.vlimited; number' of .constant patrons.,[,At present an enormous number..of■ , women aro.. employed; daily.'in cooking small portions : of; food' : for ,the' folk .dependent; on them,. : :,but■.because...they. ,are;.,\vpmen; people do.npt 'realjse/.the .percentage of,human' life . giy.enr.to this [one business, and [the'.waste so ..■; involved.';' 'ffith'Ycontral kitchens ,;a[,.few' women could do the same work with ari immense economising of time, energy, i,and money..-,..;- ~,„.',.•.,-[ ..[, ... ;.....■.'-.' :. ..- -'. ;■;■ i'. .Tho; kitchen.[wpuld.'.'.ndt[have[[.to ['pay'the high, rent ;of,the restaurant.:.;.it' would be .a, cook-shop,j./;not Y[an[F. eatjng'-house.. -".'it ■ would;..not■[ have.,'..,to!'.[meet the. waste,,of -. uncertain, jpatrbnagOjAb'ut 'merely to [cook to'.V.ordor .for-,[a.[known., number "people."; 'Each.'[family.,.[couldYorder" with' ',the ''same ■ freedpmr.it ,does, now,- ojily,instead, of .ordeiv •ing baker,[ confectioner,, fishmanj.'iceniaiy milk'man,'-.aiid fruiterer,, it 'would" p[rder,;of one ' sliop-7-and [ receive..itVread}Yt6. l eat. [ :Many." persons dis- ■ likft'-th«j'.jtrpublp",of/this everlasting ) ordering —it>iS;dne'!df''the'things that try the[house-' such,these kitihens would sub,-, . mi j t"table[ i .d',h6t , e|'menue,[dpeii.[to-additions'; and'in thesp.'the vanous.:.kitchens.'would vie witb r ;pne"[."another/.in[ competitive-eixcellerice.' Tliey.'.Tfbuld'.inake'a'.'speciality.Vof [proper food '■■,' for.'..,childreii;- [ for : [..' invalids,;, [for \ ■ particular tastics; , -; aiid untler.'pressurd; of .'our!.iricreasirig. demand '[for 'pur6",fdod "and - nutrition ■ they wouM.ofter a "'balanced ration' based on scientific'khdwledge.;" ;.,:"." '[.['[.. ... .'.[.[ ■ 'In this change, of.. Kasp we .must riot look, for. help to the.families concerned. - They are not -business, agoricics: "From, among them—. or'[frbm ;; the l ..ends[[of the- earth—may • come, ■ the. person*; the competent: , -person, ,w'ho 'will [ Bay, Twill' deliver in-your pantry better , ■'■ food-than you have now. ui half the price I' . and do.it.' -This is the true lino of -advance ;■-■ making 'a..- legitimate, j human business; of . housework ; ( 7 haying,, it,, done., by.., exports ..'in-. stead pf by.amatpurs'; making'it. a particular, .'. '[sociaUndustry "instead of, a' ; gpneral ieminine . function,., and leayirig' the, private,',family' iiv the[[p'riyate' home['n;h'crp°ii.-bblongs., .This, is , not' -cp-operatipn, but ,'is. gbpd,, biisiness.- : . It is prip [of :the..greatcst .business'opportunities has, ever;,known.[' Now, jet,us sec whether..' women,, "who.., ,have,.'followed''this, - tradeVfrom';thp[[yc'ar',.bne,.br liien, who Jia've' merply developed' al!'[the, rest [of,'the world's, work..will ...ho the":'_first field' to;,sucseedi"'.;.-' '' ,:.,■,'[■[, v M i" ..'..',■ -.-'.".,'.-. ; t~[..;- '. ~ -