,transcriber's ,note3 ,italic text is denoted by underscores and bold text by equal signs4 ,,the ,,labour-,,saving ,,house ,,by ,,the ,,same ,,author ,,war ,,ration ,,cookery 7,the ,eat-less-meat ,book7 ,,learning ,,to ,,cook #aj_/- ,a ,,head ,,for ,,house ,,books ,,novels ,,the ,,hat ,,shop ,,mrs4 ,,barnet-,,robes ,a ,,mrs4 ,,jones ,illustration3 ,,plate ,i ,a ,,fine ,,old ,,raeburn ,,mantel-,,piece ,,and ,,fire-,,place ,,fitted ,,with ,a ,,modern ,,dog ,,grate ,,and ,,gas ,,fire ,,and ,,also ,,with ,,gas ,,candle ,,standards ,,the ,,labour-,,saving ,,house ,,by ,,mrs4 ,c4 ,s4 ,,peel ,illustration ,,london3 ,,john ,,lane ,,the ,,bodley ,,head ,,new ,,york3 ,,john ,,lane ,,company ,,mcmxviii ,the greatest ,labour-,saving apparatus which we possess is the ,brain3 it has not been worn out by too much use4 ,,second ,,edition ,,printed ,,in ,,great ,,britain ,,by ,,the ,,anchor ,,press ,,ltd4 ,,tiptree ,,essex ,,author',s ,,note ,some portion of this book appeared in the form of articles in ,the ,queen and ,the ,evening ,standard4 ,my thanks are due to the ,editors of those papers for permission to republish them4 ,,dorothy ,c4 ,,peel4 ,,contents ,,chapter ,,page i4 ,why do we need ,labour-,saving ,houses8 #c ii4 ,labour-,saving ,houses and the ,servant ,problem #g iii4 ,the ,labour-,saving ,house as it ,might ,be #bi iv4 ,the ,labour-,saving ,house as it ,can ,be #ec v4 ,the ,work of a ,labour-,making ,house1 and the ,work of a ,labour-,saving ,house #gc vi4 ,other ,people's ,experiences of ,labour-,saving ,homes #hg vii4 ,other ,people's ,experiences of ,labour-,saving ,homes 7continued7 #aai viii4 ,coal1 ,coke1 and ,gas3 ,how to ,use ,them to the ,best ,advantage #ada ix4 ,the ,electric ,house4 ,cooking1 ,heating1 ,cleaning and ,lighting by ,electricity #aga ,a ,final ,word #ahg ,index #ahi ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,,no4 #a4 ,gas ,heater ,frontispiece #b4 ,gas ,heater ,,page #h #c4 ,gas ,heater #i #d4 ,gas ,heater #ae #e4 ,gas ,heater #ah #f4 ,gas ,cooker #ca #g4 ,gas ,heating #ca #h4 ,gas ,heating #cc #i4 ,gas ,heating #ce #aj4 ,gas ,lighting #dd #aa4 ,gas ,lighting #de #ab4 ,gas ,lighting #dg #ac4 ,gas ,cooker #ea #ad4 ,gas ,cooking #fb #ae4 ,gas ,heating 7,water7 #fd #af4 ,gas ,cooker #fg #ag4 ,gas ,heating 7,water7 #ga #ah4 ,gas ,heating 7,water7 #ge #ai4 ,gas ,kitchen #gi #bj4 ,gas ,cooking #ha #ba4 ,gas ,kitchen #he #bb4 ,gas ,kitchener #ic #bc4 ,gas ,kitchen #ie #bd4 ,gas ,destructor #ig #be4 ,gas ,kitchen #aja #bf4 ,gas-,reading 7,meter7 #aje #bg4 ,gas ,oven #ajh #bh4 ,gas ,oven #aaa #bi4 ,gas ,steamer #aag #cj4 ,gas ,utensils #abd #ca4 ,gas ,oven #abf #cb4 ,electric ,kitchen #aca #cc4 ,electric ,iron and ,electric ,heater #acd #cd4 ,electric ,kitchen #adb #ce4 ,dining-room ,hot-,plate and ,dreadnought ,machine #adc #cf4 ,electric ,cooker #ade #cg4 ,electric ,fire #adh #ch4 ,electric ,cooker #aeg #ci4 ,electric ,cooker #afj #dj4 ,electric ,transformer ,co4 #afc #da4 ,electric ,transformer ,co41 ,delightful ,inventions #afd #db4 ,electric ,transformer ,co41 ,breakfast ,cooker #agf #db4 ,electric ,transformer ,co41 ,toaster and ,hot-,plate #agf #dc4 ,electric ,cooker #agg #dd4 ,gas ,oven #ahj #de4 ,electric ,fireplace #aha #df4 ,electric ,radiator #ahh ,in almost every ,english house at least a third of each day is wasted in doing work which in no way adds to the comfort of its inmates4 ,,chapter ,i ,,what ,,this ,,chapter ,,is ,,about ,why ,labour-,saving ,houses are ,needed ,,the ,,labour-,,saving ,,house ,,chapter ,i ,,why ,,labour-,,saving ,,houses ,,are ,,needed ,why do we need ,labour-,saving ,houses8 ,because3 #a4--,life is too short and time too valuable to waste in doing work which is unnecessary and which adds little or nothing to our comfort4 #b4--,there is a scarcity of labour4 ,girls of the class from which domestic servants were drawn formerly now dislike service4 ,the would-be employer finds it difficult to obtain servants and to keep them when obtained4 #c4--,unless great changes are made in our houses and households it will become even more difficult to obtain servants1 because so many professions are now open to young women that they are in a position to choose how they will earn a living4 #d4--,when servants are not obtainable1 the mistress is driven to turn to and do the work of her own house4 ,that is why a demand for labour-saving mechanism is making itself felt4 #e4--,owing to modern inventions1 it is now possible to achieve a house in which a family may be housed and fed in comfort at half the cost of labour which is absorbed in the labour-making house4 #f4--;,it is pleasanter to spend money on the things one likes than to squander it on unnecessary coals and kitchenmaids4 ,house-keeping4 ,home-making4 ,what do these words mean8 ,they mean so much that is vital to the individual and to the nation that one could weep for the stupidity which permits any untrained and ill-educated girl to become a nurse1 a cook1 a housemaid1 a mother1 and the mistress of a home6 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,what ,,this ,,chapter ,,is ,,about ,the ,ignorant ,employer--,the ,incompetent ,servant--,wanted6 a ,new ,race of ,mistresses--,domestic ,training for all ,girls--,its ,value to the ,nation--,menial ,work--,the ,surplus of ,governesses1 ,secretaries1 and ,companions1 and the ,scarcity of ,servants--,genteel ,professions--,what the ,servant ,dislikes--,how to ,popularise ,domestic ,service4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,the ,,servant ,,problem ,,and ,,some ,,solutions ,,of ,,it ,i ,servants8 ,we haven't a single-handed cook or a house-parlourmaid on our books1 madam4 ,this1 in many cases1 is the reply of the registry office to-day1 and as time goes on the shortage of domestic workers will become more and more acute4 ,of highly-paid upper servants1 with under-servants to wait upon them1 there is no lack1 for the supply of persons wishing to fill the few plum posts in any profession is always adequate2 but as there is a lack of under-servants1 even the very rich find it difficult to secure a satisfactory household2 while the mistress who needs a house-parlourmaid1 a single-handed cook1 a general1 or even a single-handed house- or parlourmaid finds it almost impossible to induce a suitable girl to accept her situation4 ,why should this be8 ,the war1 says every one4 ,all the young women are busy conducting tramcars1 selling bacon1 and punching railway tickets4 ,but why are all the young women anxious to be anything but domestic servants8 ,as a matter of fact this dislike to service has not been brought about by the war2 it has been growing steadily for many years1 and to a great extent employers have only themselves to thank for a state of affairs which they so bitterly deplore4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,ii ,,the ,,davis ,,adam ,,gas ,,fire ,,in ,,an ,,adam ,,style ,,mantel ,the ,ignorant ,employer4 ,what sane person would undertake the management of a business knowing nothing of the conduct of it8 ,yet this is what young women of the moneyed classes have done ever since it became the fashion to despise domesticity1 to imagine that housekeeping was a pursuit fit only for women too stupid to do anything else4 ,the girl marries3 to her1 cookery and household work are deep1 dark mysteries4 ,how do you clean silver8 ,how long does it take to turn out a bedroom8 ,do you allow #b lbs4 or #ab lbs4 of margarine per week for a household of six persons8 ,what is dripping8 ,the cook says soup cannot be made without soup meat4 ,can't it8 ,and what is soup meat8 ,imagine the annoyance of working under the control of such an employer6 ,honest1 competent servants become disheartened1 the incompetent remain incompetent1 while the ignorance of the mistress makes the temptation to be dishonest well-nigh irresistible4 ,it is the ignorance of the mistress also that has enabled the perquisite and commission system 7polite names for theft7 to flourish1 and which make it possible for tradesmen to employ men at low wages on the tacit understanding that a high wage may be gained by fleecing the customer4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,iii ,,an ,,adam ,,design ,,gas ,,dog ,,grate ,,placed ,,in ,a ,,fine ,,old ,,fire-,,place ,,in ,a ,,large ,,hall ,note also the attractive gas candle brackets4 7,richmond7 ,no ,chance for the ,incompetent ,servant4 ,again1 had the servant-employers of this country a proper knowledge of their duties1 the incompetent servant would have little chance to exist4 ,she would have been taught her work1 and if she would not do it1 have been dismissed4 ,but nine times out of ten the mistress does not know how to teach1 and is so dependent on her servants that she must keep anyone rather than be left servantless4 ,the result of our genteel dislike of menial duties has not only encouraged dishonesty and incompetence in our servants1 it has actually lessened the supply4 ,the mistress who has never cleaned a room or cooked a dinner cannot realise the difficulties of either task4 ,hence it is that because domestic work generally has been done by paid servants1 we have made but little effort to plan and furnish our houses in a labour-saving fashion4 ,we have also failed to move with the times1 and to realise that no matter if we approve or disapprove1 young girls now demand more variety and more freedom in their lives than was formerly the case4 ,wanted6 a ,new ,race of ,mistresses4 ,a race of competent1 sympathetic mistresses might have made domestic service one of the most sought-after of the professions open to the average woman4 ,they might have eliminated practically all the hard and dirty work of the house1 they might have organised regular hours for exercise and recreation1 and by their own example shown what war is now teaching us--the incalculable value to the nation of the good housekeeper4 ,in their scorn of domestic duties ,englishwomen have forgotten that the sole duty of the housewife is not to know the price of mutton3 it is her duty1 and that of those who work with her1 to bring up a race of decently behaved1 clean1 well-fed people1 and to make of her home a place of peace and goodwill1 a centre from which radiates a right influence4 ,is this the work for the woman too stupid for aught else8 or is it the work of a true patriot8 ,it is often said that the ,english govern their ,government1 and there is truth in the statement4 ,the ,press keeps its finger on the public pulse3 when that shows signs of excitement1 the ,press acts1 and between them1 ,public and ,press set ,parliament moving4 ,domestic ,training for all ,girls4 ,possibly1 in time1 the serious lack of domestic labour will excite the ,public and the ,press to such a pitch that the ,government will realise that every girl1 no matter of what class1 should be taught how to cook and to clean and to wash1 tend and feed a young child1 and not only be taught how to do these things1 but impressed with the idea that in so doing she is as surely performing her duty to her country as are the soldier1 sailor1 doctor1 scientist1 or merchant4 ,but the fact that you teach girls these things will not cause them to become servants1 you object4 ,i am by no means sure that you are right4 ,when all girls have been through a course of domestic training1 and when they have been impressed with the national importance of such work1 they will regard it from a point of view different from that which now obtains4 ,the girl who becomes the employer will know what she is asking of her employe2 she will realise that to labour indoors from #f4cj or #g to #aj or #aj4cj five days a week is not attractive to a young girl4 ,the work may not be continuous3 there will be half-hours of rest and talk with the other maids2 but the fact remains that the servant is on duty and liable to be called upon at any time during those hours4 ,the mistress1 who has been a worker1 will also realise how hard and disagreeable are some of the tasks required of the servant in a labour-making home4 ,on the other hand1 the servant will know that she cannot take advantage of the ignorance of her employer and that her employer is not demanding of her work which she herself regards as derogatory4 ,the maid1 too1 will start knowing her work3 she will not have to pick it up as best she can1 often from persons knowing little more than herself4 ,the life of many young servants is made almost unendurable because they have to struggle along as best they may1 scolded by mistress and upper-servant alike for not knowing what they have had no opportunity to learn4 ,a child in a fairly well-to-do working home1 whose mother has been a servant1 goes out to service with some knowledge of her work1 but as a rule the conditions in cottages and town workers' dwellings are so utterly different from those in the homes of the well-to-do that the young girl can scarcely be blamed when she breaks and spoils and makes more dust and muddle than she clears away4 ,domestic ,training will improve the ,physique of the ,coming ,generation4 ,a three or four months' course of intelligent domestic training would do much1 not only to solve the servant problem1 but to improve the physique of the coming generation1 for it is sheer ignorance of domesticity which accounts for a high percentage of the infant mortality which is a disgrace to this country4 ,and this ignorance of the importance of cleanliness1 sanitation1 etc41 is not confined to the poorer classes4 ,fashions filter downwards1 and when the educated women of the upper classes show that they consider household work beneath their attention1 why should they think it strange when they find the same opinion expressed by the working-girl8 ,ignorance of the national value of menial work is one reason for the unpopularity of domestic service4 ,this attitude is not confined to the uneducated--only to the unthinking4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,iv ,,this ,,illustration ,,shows ,,how ,,modern ,,coal ,,grates ,,in ,,bedrooms ,,can ,,be ,,fitted ,,with ,,gas ,,fires ,,without ,,making ,,structural ,,alterations4 ,this type of gas fire can be fitted in almost any shape or size of coal grates2 its initial cost1 as well as cost of fitting1 is extremely low4 7,fletcher ,russell7 ,,ii ,menial ,work4 ,the wide dislike of menial work which exists was brought before me vividly a short time ago4 ,a secretary was advertised for1 an educated1 quick1 methodical worker--good typist and shorthandist4 ,the lady who needed the secretary almost required one to deal with the letters she received in reply to her advertisement4#a ,a holiday nursery governess was advertised for3 again with the same result4 ,women with every qualification were anxious--desperately anxious--to obtain the post4 ,these educated women sent stamped envelopes for a reply and offered to come long distances to secure an interview4 ,a cook at #cj a year 7single-handed7 was advertised for over and over again4 ,registry offices were haunted1 friends worried1 for tidings of cooks4 ,no cooks were forthcoming4 ,here was a situation where the two maids had a roomy comfortable bedroom and their own bathroom1 a sitting-room with a gas fire and every labour-saving apparatus to make the work easy4 ,these servants were offered not less than #ajs4 a week wages1 as much good food as they could eat1 clean1 sanitary quarters1 with comfortable beds and hot baths galore4 ,their washing was paid1 an off-day1 from #c4cj to #aj1 once a week1 and the same on alternate ,sundays1 and two weeks' holiday 7on full pay7 granted1 in addition to as many other outings as could be arranged4 ,had suitable applicants appeared and demanded #cj or #cd a year1 they would have obtained those wages4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,v ,a ,,london ,,dining-,,room ,,showing ,,drawing-,,room ,,beyond ,this picture shows how a gas fire may be fixed in an antique grate without disturbing the old fire-place4 ,when alight the effect is of red-hot coke4 ,too many ,governesses1 ,secretaries1 and ,companions in ,normal ,times4 ,and yet there is a glut of women who wish to become governesses1 secretaries1 companions1 and shop-assistants1 in spite of the fact that such work is not well paid1 that it is uncertain1 and that those girls who must take lodgings or live in are generally badly housed and badly fed4 ,except in a few shops1 girls living in live very roughly4 ,nurses in the generality of nursing-homes do the same1 and women workers who earn under #cjs4 a week and live in a bed-sitting-room in a lodging-house are in no better case1 though the latter do have the luxury of a room to themselves4 ,in many houses1 however1 this luxury could be granted to the servants4 ,the life of a servant in a good situation is healthy2 she can enjoy cleanliness1 good food1 and warmth1 she can take her pick of situations1 and leave one which is undesirable1 knowing full well that she can obtain another for the asking4 ,a girl earning good wages in service can save1 and she is not dogged by the terror of being suddenly thrown out of employment and finding herself penniless and unable to obtain another post4 ,so much for the advantages of domestic service as a profession4 ,what are its drawbacks8 ,lack of freedom and the fact that the profession of a servant is not considered genteel6 ,the girl who adopts it does not rank as a young lady4 ,service is not a ,genteel ,profession6 ,is it not time that we ceased to cherish such vulgar ideas8 ,war1 tragic and terrible1 is bringing home to us the fact that we should honour the women who can and will work1 and despise those who exist merely as parasites on the labour of their fellow-beings4 ,the educated woman who desires to earn her living has a great chance before her4 ,let her do for the domestic worker what an earlier generation of women did for the sick-nurse4 ,as domestic workers1 educated women will be of incalculable value to the nation1 and they can secure for themselves well-paid1 healthy work under reformed conditions4 ,domestic ,training ,colleges4 ,to bring about this change1 first of all we need to establish domestic training colleges1 run on somewhat the same lines as the ,norland ,nurses' ,institute1 where girls of good education may learn their work and obtain certificates and character sheets4 ,these institutions should provide accommodation for members on holiday or when changing their situations4 ,they should also demand for their members a fixed scale of wages1 a reasonable standard of food and accommodation1 and free time4 ,the workers should wear the uniform of the institution4 ,well-trained girls could demand high wages1 and employers could afford to give them to conscientious1 capable workers1 who would neither break nor spoil nor waste1 and who would disdain to practise the small dishonesties by which the servant often augments her wages4 ,but if the educated woman worker is ready to do her part in the scheme1 her prospective employer must realise that she1 too1 has a duty to perform4 ,it rests with her so to arrange the work of her household that the positions she has to offer shall appear desirable to the class of woman she desires to employ4 ,what the ,servant ,dislikes4 ,to sum up the situation1 the scarcity of domestic servants is accounted for by the dislike of girls who have to earn a living for a life which entails long hours1 little freedom1 and which carries with it something of social stigma4 ,the shop-girl1 the clerk1 the tea-room waitress are young ladies4 ,they are known as ,miss ,jones or ,miss ,smith4 ,the servant is a servant1 a slavey1 a skivvy1 a ,mary ,jane4 ,a young man of the superior working class prefers to walk out with a young lady1 and the servant knows this and resents it4 ,even if a girl goes into a factory1 she may work harder than the servant and in many cases under less pleasant conditions1 but she is free in the evening1 on ,saturday afternoon1 and on ,sunday1 and she lives amongst her equals4 ,she does not inhabit servants' bedrooms1 and eat kitchen butter1 and drink kitchen tea4 ,the tea that she does drink may be inferior1 but at all events it is as good as that consumed by other members of her world4 ,and all these things matter1 though the average employer likes to believe that they do not4 ,to ,popularise ,domestic ,service4 ,so to make domestic service popular we must make it fashionable4 ,it should be as fashionable to be a domestic servant as to become a hospital nurse4 ,alter the conditions of domestic service until the profession of domestic worker attracts the educated woman1 and the problem is solved4 ,go into ,service6 ,not ,i6 ,that is what young girls say4 ,i don't know what to do1 ,i cannot get servants4 ,that is what the employer says4 ,what is she doing to make domestic service an attractive profession to the young girl8 ,,iii ,study the psychology of the question1 find out what it is young women want of life4 ,be progressive4 ,do not say1 ,because it was1 it ever shall be4 ,thank ,god1 things do not stay as they were1 or we might still be working little children eighteen hours a day in factories1 starving and whipping lunatics1 and burning witches4 ,having realised that it is the human attitude which is of first importance1 then let us go on to see by what means we can lighten the work of our households so that we may make service attractive4 ,we can solve the domestic problem-- #a4--;,by becoming entirely1 or partly1 our own servants4 #b4--;,by employing outside workers1 who should be trained1 uniformed1 and paid at a fixed rate per hour4 #c4--;,by changing the conditions until domestic service becomes as attractive to the worker as any other profession open to the woman of average ability and education4 ,other changes can be made3 indeed1 it is certain that sooner or later they must be made unless we are to go servantless4 ,when the necessary alteration of mental attitude towards the subject is achieved1 the next thing to be done is to call to our aid all the labour-saving devices which are available1 for it is by making full use of them that we can eliminate the hard and disagreeable work from houses and make the profession of a domestic worker attractive to an educated woman4 ,in the industrial world it is now realised that to obtain the best results the worker must be saved all unnecessary fatigue1 and that the mental atmosphere in which he works must be as free from strain and anxiety as possible1 for it is found that the labour of an over-tired worker becomes practically worthless4 ,it is time we applied modern methods to the working of our households1 in which they are needed as much as in the office or the factory4 ,they build these 'ouses1 said ,ann1 as though girls wasn't 'uman beings4444 ,it's 'ouses like this wears girls out4 ,,kipps4 ,,footnote3 #a ,this incident occurred in the early part of #aiae4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,what ,,this ,,chapter ,,is ,,about ,the ,house that ,jack builds without the help of ,jane--,a ,hot and ,cold ,water ,service--,what happens when you do away with ,coal--,how to ,save a ,third of your ,household ,work--,light and ,air--,kitchens and ,offices--,service-rooms--,furniture and ,decoration--,bathrooms and ,washing-rooms--,some ,labour-,saving ,details4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,the ,,labour-,,saving ,,house ,,as ,,it ,,might ,,be ,i ,the other day ,i was re-reading that delightful story of a simple soul1 ,kipps1 and was struck anew by the truth of the difficulties which beset ,artie and ,ann when they went house-hunting4 ',they build these 'ouses1' said ,ann1 'as though girls wasn't 'uman beings4444 ,there's kitchen stairs to go up1 ,artie4444 ,some poor girl's got to go up and down1 up and down1 and be tired out1 jest because they haven't the sense to leave enough space to give their steps a proper rise2 and no water upstairs anywhere--every drop got to be carried6 ,it's 'ouses like this wear girls out4 ',it's 'aving 'ouses built by men1 ,i believe1 makes all the work and trouble4444' ,the ,kipps1 you see1 thought they were looking for a reasonably simple little contemporary house1 but indeed they were looking either for dreamland or #aige ,a4,d41 or thereabouts1 and it hadn't come4 ,the ,house that ,jack ,built4 ,i am inclined to agree with ,ann in thinking that having houses built by men makes at least a great part of all the work and trouble1 for my own experiences--somewhat limited1 ,i admit--of architects point to the fact that they are concerned to provide you with a house which looks charming and which may be stoutly built1 but that such details as the make of the bath1 the size of the service lift1 the position of the kitchen range1 and the arrangements for cupboards1 housemaid's pantries1 and so forth1 concern them not at all4 ,when rebuilding a house for ourselves it was left to me to suggest a service lift1 and ,i was only by a happy chance in time to prevent it being of such an absurd size that no good-sized joint on a dish to correspond1 or a coal scuttle1 could have been put into it6 ,i also had to point out that to arrange for all the hot-water pipes to pass through the larder seemed scarcely advisable1 and that a box-room in which all the boxes were to be stacked one upon the other was not quite as labour-saving as one fitted with strong1 cheap slatted shelves on which the boxes could stand in tiers and be removed one at a time as required with ease and dispatch4 ,men1 as a general rule1 do not have to keep house1 neither do they have to do housework1 thus it is not surprising that such details as these escape their notice4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,vi ,,the ,,brownie ,,is ,,the ,,ideal ,,cooker4 ,for use where space is limited1 or where the requirements of the family are small4 ,the oven is fitted with one grid and one browning shelf4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,v,ia ,,the ,,waldick ,,cooker ,combines a cooker1 gas fire1 and water boiler4 ,all parts of the stove are under separate control4 ,where hot water is available by other means the ,waldick can be supplied without the side boiler4 ,the gas fire in the oven door is always supplied with this cooker1 as shown above4 ,this stove is specially designed for use in flats1 and other places where there is limited space4 7,wilson7 ,women ,architects4 ,for that reason every architect1 if he be a man1 should number a clever1 resourceful1 and experienced woman amongst his staff4 ,or why should not the architect be a woman8 ,before discoursing of the labour-saving house as it might be1 it is well to state that ,i am well aware that one man's meat is another man's poison1 also that1 owing to the fact that gas and electricity are not always available in the country1 the labour-saving house must1 more often than not1 be in a town or a suburb4 ,still1 much may be done with the country house1 even the small country house1 and after all we move quickly nowadays1 and soon it may be possible to obtain gas and electric current everywhere4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,vii ,a ,,dining-,,room ,,with ,a ,,gas ,,fire ,,and ,,gas ,,candle ,,brackets ,a ,hot and ,cold ,water ,service4 ,another point which strikes me when coming to consider my labour-saving house is this4 ,why do not the ,water ,companies supply us with a ,hot ,water ,service on much the same terms as they now supply us with a ,cold ,water ,service8 ,let us try and realise what this would mean to the householder4 ,his home would be fitted with radiators and warmed by hot water4 ,he would turn the radiators on and off as he needed them4 ,he would turn a tap and hot water would be at his command at any hour1 day and night1 for baths1 washing-up1 and cooking4 ,he would turn another tap and cold water would gush forth4 ,imagine the economy of such an arrangement6 ,instead of millions of stoves heating water1 there would be a few large furnaces doing the work4 ,imagine1 too1 the difference in the atmosphere when you eliminate coal from all dwelling-houses4 ,the house is heated and provided with hot and cold water on every floor1 in every room if you like1 with no more trouble to yourself than turning a tap and paying the bill4 ,when you do not have to cook water in addition to food you need far less fuel1 and for this purpose electricity or gas are at your disposal4 ,if you feel lonely when sitting in a room warmed by a radiator1 you may have a small wood fire1 and this1 ,i admit1 labour-saving faddist that ,i am1 ,i should desire in one or two sitting-rooms4 ,when by turning a tap or a switch1 water1 gas1 and electricity become our servants1 we shall have done much to solve the ,servant ,problem4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,viii ,a ,,well-,,known ,,london ,,drawing-,,room ,,showing ,a ,,gas-,,heated ,,log ,,fire ,,ii ,but in the ideal labour-saving house 7ideal1 mark you1 from a labour-saving point of view71 there are no fires1 no chimneys1 no grates1 no coal-devouring1 dirt-making range1 always requiring coal and yet more coal and returning you evil for good in the shape of soot and dirt4 ,have you ever watched a sweep at work8 ,have you ever cleaned the flues of a coal range8 ,in our dream-house we have no such horrors4 ,we save the cost of chimneys1 sweeps1 grates1 fenders1 fireirons1 coal-boxes4 ,we need not provide coal cellars1 in which a cold1 cross1 sleepy girl must grovel in the early morn before the house can be warmed and the breakfast cooked4 ,make a mental picture of all the heavy coal-boxes which are dragged up steep stairs in this country of ours4 ,ann was right when she said1 ,it's 'ouses like this wears girls out4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,ix ,a ,,gas ,,fire ,,in ,,the ,,entrance ,,hall ,,of ,a ,,small ,,town ,,house ,save a ,third of the ,work in the ,house4 ,eliminate coal and you save quite a third of the work in your home4 ,think this out and you will see that it is so4 ,coal must be delivered4 ,in a town it is shot through a hole into the basement cellar or cellars4 ,this causes a cloud of black dirt1 and the front of your house suffers4 ,then coal must be shovelled up into scuttles2 often it is necessary to break up the large lumps4 ,the scuttles are then carried about the house1 coals up1 ashes down2 grates are cleaned and the room is powdered with dust in the process4 ,grates1 fenders1 fireirons1 and coal-boxes must be cleaned1 and fashion ordains that they are generally made1 wholly or partly1 of polished metal4 ,the weather is cold and a servant is rung for and more coal is demanded4 ,one day the wind blows and the fire will not light4 ,it takes some fifteen minutes of bellows-blowing and two bundles of wood to set it going1 and then the wind blows harder and it smokes6 ,alas for the poor housemaid6 ,the kitchen fire won't draw and the water is not hot4 ,the sweep must be sent for1 and all the while the air is being fouled from the smoke from our own chimneys1 and when we open our windows the coal we burn returns to us in the shape of smuts and grime4 ,oh1 the washing bill1 the cleaner's bill6 ,the bill for labour which might be saved6 ,so in our ideal home we do away with all this pother1 and wash and warm ourselves by means of hot water which comes from the main and the supply of which we regulate by turning taps4 ,we light our house and cook our food by means of electricity or gas1 which we also regulate by turning switches or taps4 ,thus we obtain heat and artificial light4 ,when ,labour was cheap and plentiful1 the ,labour-,making ,house caused but little inconvenience except to those who had to do the work1 and their point of view was seldom considered4 ,now that ,labour is scarce and dear1 the matter assumes a different complexion4 ,,iii ,but our house must be well supplied with natural light1 for without light and air we cannot live4 ,away1 then1 with basements4 ,there must be ample space between the rows of houses so that every room may be light1 that the sun may penetrate into it1 and therefore the windows must be large4 ,kitchens and ,offices4 ,these1 too1 must be light and airy4 ,the kitchen should not be used as a sitting-room2 it is the place in which food is prepared1 and should be a place which can be kept exquisitely clean4 ,it should have tiled walls and ceiling1 a cemented floor on a slight slant with a gutter1 so that it may be washed down with a hose4 ,the larder and pantry should be arranged in a like fashion4 ,the larder must be cool1 well ventilated1 and the food stored in it protected from dust and dirt4 ,in our ideal home1 both cook and mistress know something of the work of dust and flies as disease carriers4 ,in this kitchen the cooker is placed in a good light and is mounted at a convenient height4 ,only the cook knows the fatigue occasioned by stooping to lift heavy weights out of low-set ovens1 the worry of cooking in a bad light4 ,the sink1 too1 shall be set at a reasonable height4 ,there shall not be a scullery--why should there be a scullery8 ,it is merely one more place to clean4 ,then we will not condemn any girl or woman to stand for hours washing up4 ,the electrically worked washing-up machine does such work well and quickly1 and our pots and pans when electricity or even gas is used do not become black and sooty on the outside4 ,in the ideal kitchen we will have as few utensils as possible1 and these shall have their proper keeping places4 ,a ,service-room4 ,in addition to kitchen and larder we will have a service-room1 fitted with cupboards for linen1 blankets1 pillows1 etc41 for boxes1 for china and glass4 ,here flowers may be done1 clothes brushed1 and half a hundred domestic jobs performed4 ,here there may be a hot-airing cupboard1 a place in which to wash and iron4 ,tiled walls and ceiling1 varnished wood1 linoleum-covered floor1 tables covered with ,american cloth nailed tight or faced with zinc are quickly and easily cleaned4 ,in addition there must be a maids' sitting-room1 light1 bright1 sparsely but comfortably furnished1 with linoleum-covered floor and small1 light rugs which may be shaken easily4 ,and in a convenient place1 so that it may be fed from kitchen and pantry1 there must be the service lift4 ,here we have such domestic premises as are suitable in a house where three or more servants will be employed4 ,the large household will need a housekeeper's room1 a sitting-room for the housemaids1 a dining-hall1 but in this book such households cannot be considered4 ,on the other hand1 the one or two-servant house or flat may be differently planned4 ,here pantry1 sitting-room1 and service-room might be combined1 and this suggestion is dealt with in another chapter2 while in the no-servant home1 or that in which some of the work is done by the visiting domestic worker1 a sitting-room is not needed1 and kitchen and pantry may be combined4 ,a small service-room1 however1 ,i would not omit in a house where there are spare bedding1 china1 linen1 boxes1 and so forth to be stowed away2 and a house in which there is no place to do odd jobs cannot be an ideal home4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,x ,a ,,charming ,,two-,,light ,,gas ,,candle ,,bracket ,,in ,,wrought ,,iron 7,,evered7 ,furniture and ,decoration4 ,the furnishing and decoration of a house must be left to individual taste3 one person revels in colouring which would make another ill1 but when we consider the matter from a labour-saving point of view1 we should forbid painted woodwork4 ,natural wood should be used and mouldings forbidden4 ,who does not know the lines of dirt which form on the mouldings in which the builder delights8 ,the wainscots1 the window-frames1 the doors1 all are trimmed with mouldings4 ,fitted carpets1 or1 indeed1 any heavy carpets1 should be taboo4 ,parquet floors are delightful1 but in most places linoleum must be the floor covering because it keeps out draughts1 is easily kept clean1 and is comparatively cheap4 ,furniture which cannot be moved without difficulty or swept under is objectionable3 double beds are tiring for one person to make1 and washhandstands can be omitted if there are a suitable number of washing-rooms4 ,these are preferable1 ,i think1 to fitted washstands in the bedrooms4 ,in the average house three washing-rooms would be required1 one for husband and wife1 one for the children1 and one for the servants4 ,when spare rooms are required each bedroom and dressing-room should have its washing-room4 ,you may say that so many bathrooms absorb much space and cost so much more4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xi ,a ,,modern ,,indirect ,,gas ,,lighting ,,bowl ,,pendant4 7,,evered7 ,a ,clever ,idea for a ,bedroom and ,dressing-room ,bath4 ,this idea has been carried out in a small country house known to me4 ,here the spare bedroom and dressing-room are #af feet wide4 ,where the dividing wall would come a fitted washstand has been arranged in either room1 back to back4 ,the washstands jut out #a foot #h inches into either room1 and are #c feet long1 leaving1 if you draw a straight line to either side wall1 and allowing for a partition wall1 a space #c feet #h inches wide and #aj feet long4 ,this space is enclosed on either side by sliding doors1 fitted with bolts1 and inside it a porcelain enamel bath is fitted4 ,there is a ventilating window at the outer wall1 and that piece of wall is tiled as is the floor4 ,a large-sized bath measures some #cj inches across the widest end1 and is #f feet long4 ,a small bath measures some #bh inches by #e feet1 so if the rooms were small and a small bath chosen a lesser space would be necessary for the bathroom1 and part of the length might be used for wardrobe cupboards4 ,in this house the water and the radiators are heated by a coke furnace1 the house is lighted by acetylene gas1 and the cooking is done by coal1 and the cooker is so arranged that it heats servants' hall as well as kitchen4 ,in a labour-saving house all rooms should be under rather than over furnished1 and free of heavy1 stuffy draperies4 ,there should be a gas ring or electric heater in each room or on each floor1 so that in the case of illness food can be prepared4 ,hot water there will always be1 day and night4 ,what are the domestic tasks which women most dislike8 ,getting coals out of the coal cellar4 ,cleaning grates and flues4 ,carrying heavy trays1 cans1 and coal-boxes up and down stairs4 ,cleaning doorsteps4 ,doing washstand work4 ,then why continue to perform them8 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xii ,a ,,three-,,light ,,gas ,,fitting1 ,,with ,,inverted ,,burners ,,and ,,shades ,,such ,,as ,,ensure ,a ,,pleasing ,,light ,the switch systems1 now readily adaptable to gas lighting1 enable the burners to be lighted and extinguished by the mere pressing of a button4 7,evered7 ,,iv ,of polished metal there should be a minimum1 and glass rather than silver should be chosen for table use4 ,stainless steel knives take the place of those which need cleaning4 ,the meals should be simplified as much as possible4 ,earthenware casseroles in which the food is cooked and served save washing up4 ,rotary brushes by which boot and other cleaning may be carried out are worked by electricity4 ,linoleum with rubber treads is substituted for stair carpets whenever possible1 in order to save carpet beating and the cost of stair-rods4 ,the use of a suction cleaner1 ,bissel carpet sweeper1 long-handled scrubbing brushes and mops1 telephone bells1 an electric not at home indicator on the front door1 a polished dining-table1 glass tops to sideboard1 side1 and dressing-tables will all reduce the labour bill4 ,it is also important that each person in the house should refrain from making unnecessary work for the others1 for to tidy up after an untidy person absorbs far more time than is often realised4 ,but1 alas6 such a home as ,i have described is not within the reach of many people4 ,like the ,kipps1 we are looking for ,dreamland or #aige1 and it has not come4 ,still1 there are people who build houses and there are more people who rebuild houses1 and large numbers who do up houses1 and if one cannot do all one would like1 it is generally possible to achieve some of one's ambitions4 ,it is not the work but the spirit in which it is done that degrades4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xiii ,,composite ,,gas ,,cooker 7#c ,,independent ,,ovens ,,and ,,hot ,,plate74 ,,suitable ,,for ,a ,,large ,,household ,,where ,,the ,,amount ,,of ,,cooking ,,varies ,,very ,,much ,,chapter ,,iv ,,what ,,this ,,chapter ,,is ,,about ,the ,basement ,house--,good ,neighbourhoods and ,dying ,neighbourhoods--,a ,typical ,labour-,making ,house--,a ,labour-,making ,house ,converted--,another ,suggestion for a ,labour-,saving ,house--,fitting and ,furnishing4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,the ,,labour-,,saving ,,house ,,as ,,it ,,can ,,be ,i ,it was an ,irishman who advised1 ,if ye can't be aisy1 be as aisy as ye can1 and his advice was good4 ,thus1 if you cannot have an ideal house1 have a home which is as nearly ideal as possible1 so let us consider the house as we generally find it1 and see what can be done to improve it4 ,most houses built prior to the last ten years seem to have been planned with the express desire of providing an unnecessary amount of hard work for the unfortunate persons who inhabit them4 ,fifty years ago labour was cheap and plentiful1 and ideas as to hygiene stranger even than many which still obtain4 ,now1 however1 we do know that fresh air and light are as necessary to our well-being as sound food4 ,this fact is shown in an interesting fashion in ,mrs4 ,pember ,reeves' admirable book1 ,round ,about a ,pound a ,week1 in which she speaks eloquently of the way in which basement families deteriorate in health1 although the children may have more food than those who live in higher1 airier quarters4 ,basement ,houses4 ,ignorance of the value of light and air1 cheap labour and dear land were no doubt the causes of basement houses1 and to this day1 although labour is dear and the cost of feeding and keeping each servant has increased1 it is no uncommon thing for a housekeeper to remark1 ,i have to keep an extra servant because of the basement1 and perhaps another maid is employed because of the coals and stairs4 ,where the income is ample1 the extra labour bill is of little importance 7speaking from the employer's point of view71 but householders of moderate and small means are rapidly discovering that labour-making houses are not for them2 that it is an economy to pay1 if needs be1 a rather higher rent and to live in a healthy1 light1 airy house1 so planned that all unnecessary toil is abolished1 and with it the cost of much cleaning material1 chimney-sweeping1 whitewashing1 etc4 ,in many cases1 landlords have found it impossible to let their gloomy1 inconvenient dwellings to tenants of the desired kind1 and what was a good neighbourhood has sunk by degrees until the houses are inhabited by members of that unfortunate class who are forced to take any rooms they can obtain1 and only too often pay a high price for bad accommodation4 ,i am not in a position to advise on the management of house property1 but ,i cannot but think that in many cases it would pay the owners to modernise the houses they have to let rather than let them deteriorate4 ,as ,i write1 ,i have in my mind's eye a certain neighbourhood in ,london1 once fashionable1 now inhabited by nice people1 whose means make it impossible for them to pay high rents4 ,but this neighbourhood is slowly but surely deteriorating1 and rents are sinking1 simply because the houses are of a kind that necessitate at least three servants being employed1 in addition to a nurse if there are young children4 ,with less than three servants these houses could not be kept clean or warm4 ,a ,typical ,labour-,making ,house4 ,the accommodation in most of these streets and squares consists of3 ,basement 7deep and rather dark74--,kitchen1 pantry1 servants' hall at back 7generally very dark71 lavatory1 coal and wine cellars2 front area 7dustbin stands here71 backyard2 steep and dark stairs to ground floor4 ,ground ,floor4--,dining-room1 smoking-room1 and third small dark room1 lavatory1 narrow hall1 and steep stairs leading to small half-landing4 ,first ,floor4--,double drawing-room4 ,above1 seven bedrooms1 one lavatory1 and one bathroom4 ,all coal for the house must be carried up one1 two1 or three1 and possibly four1 flights of steep stairs4 ,there is a large kitchen range1 with flues to clean twice a week1 as in order to keep up the hot-water supply much coal is burned1 and the flues become very dirty4 ,the chimney must also be swept every two months4 ,other chimneys must be swept twice a year2 if much used1 three times a year4 ,all food and table utensils must be carried up and downstairs three times a day1 and when lunch and dinner are in progress a servant must run up and down with clean and dirty dishes1 etc4 ,washstands are used in each bedroom1 and hot water taken to these rooms three or four times a day4 ,there is but one bathroom and upstairs lavatory2 therefore there is a good deal of stair work when doing the rooms4 ,if there is a nursery1 the nursery meals have to be carried up and down4 ,each time the hall-door bell rings1 a maid must run upstairs to answer it1 and visitors and tea in the drawing-room necessitate more journeys up and down1 and the carrying of a heavy tray4 ,now1 with a house of this description there are certainly two ways of converting it into a labour-saving dwelling4 ,a ,labour-,making ,house ,converted4 ,if the basement is deep and incurably dark1 by far the best plan is to dispense with it altogether so far as living-rooms are concerned1 using it merely for cellars and box-room4 ,but1 says the householder1 there will now be no back door4 ,the tradesmen will all have to come to the front door4 ,they will4 ,but tradesmen call chiefly in the morning1 and the few who come in the afternoon might be instructed to go to the area door1 to which the dustman would also go1 while the coals 7if any are used7 would be delivered through the pavement coal-shoot as before4 ,arranging thus1 the house proper begins on the ground floor4 ,the large front room is the dining-room as before1 and the double doors between it and the erstwhile smoking-room should be plastered up on the smoking-room side1 for under the new arrangement the smoking-room becomes the kitchen1 and the small third room the pantry4 ,the kitchen will not be large1 but neither a gas nor an electric cooker takes up much space4 ,now comes the question whether the hot-water system shall be worked by a coke or a gas circulator4 ,the latter gives even less trouble than the former1 but it may prove too costly in use4 ,a coke furnace needs to be stoked about three times a day1 and is very easy to light4 ,the furnace might be placed in the kitchen or in the basement1 and in it can be burned practically all the rubbish1 thus doing away with that otherwise nasty necessity the dustbin1 which in many parts of ,london the authorities refuse to empty more than once a week4 ,kitchen and pantry must be fitted with sinks1 and there should be a little gas fire1 work-table1 and armchair in the pantry for the use of the house-parlourmaid4 ,make your head save your hands4 ,this has been said millions of times1 but there is still need to go on saying it4 ,,ii ,two servants can easily do the work of a house such as this will become1 and the kitchen premises are only suitable for two servants4 ,extra help1 however1 can always be employed in times of stress4 ,in order that two women may keep the house in thorough order1 gas fires should be used in all rooms other than perhaps the drawing-room and the nursery1 though now that gas fires have been brought to such a state of perfection ,i can see no reason why there should not be gas in the nurseries4 ,the double drawing-room must be made into drawing-room and smoking-room1 thus leaving seven bedrooms as before1 or it may suit the family to keep the double drawing-room1 and make an upstairs smoking-room4 ,personally ,i should use the first floor front room as drawing-room1 and open the doors into the smoking-room when more space was needed1 thus leaving best bed and dressing-room1 two nurseries1 one servants' room1 and one spare room1 and a small room to be used as linen and dress room4 7,boxes could be stored in the empty basement47 ,add to the house a second bathroom and lavatory1 telephone bells2 use the bathroom basins rather than the bedroom washstands 7and when a bathroom can be set apart for ,monsieur and ,madame1 and another for nursery and maids1 this is scarcely a hardship71 and you now have a house which1 provided it is not crammed with furniture1 stuffy carpets1 and draperies1 can be perfectly kept by two good servants1 always supposing that the nurse does not demand too much waiting on4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xiv ,a ,,sensibly-,,arranged ,,boiling ,,and ,,grilling ,,table ,the burners vary from a small simmering burner to a powerful concentric burner with two taps4 ,this make of table can be furnished in over a dozen different sizes4 7,john ,wright7 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,x,i,va ,a large heating surface is provided1 so that large or heavy utensils such as fish kettles etc41 are in no danger of being upset on account of being top heavy1 as is the case when they are balanced on an ordinary gas ring4 ,in the centre of the ,hot ,plate is a circular plate which may be removed when it is desired to allow the flames of the gas ring to come into direct contact with the cooking vessel4 ,a lifter is provided for this purpose4 7,c4 ,h4 ,kempton7 ,nurse and ,nursery4 ,if this important person has a bathroom conveniently situated1 gas fires1 a gas ring for heating kettles1 irons1 etc41 and a cupboard containing her own stock of crockery1 she should give very little trouble to the house-parlourmaid4 ,if advisable1 a charwoman one day a week could turn out the nurseries1 tidy the front area and backyard1 clean the stairs and bathrooms4 ,arranging the house thus1 the following work is saved3 ,cleaning of kitchen range and flues1 carrying of coal all over house1 running up and downstairs to answer front door1 especially in morning1 when the cook is busy1 carrying of trays from basement1 cleaning and filling coal scuttles1 cleaning grates and fireirons1 much carrying of hot water and bedroom work1 entire cleaning of basement4 ,if a coke furnace is used1 coke is light to carry and clean to handle1 and should a buttery hatch be arranged between dining-room and kitchen1 one maid 7if well trained7 can wait on six or eight persons quite satisfactorily4 ,then when a little dinner is given1 a charwoman1 at one shilling and her supper1 to help wash up1 is the only outside help which is necessary4 ,now ,i cannot but think that a house such as ,i have described would let at #abj a year1 where now many of them are let at #ij1 and as time goes on will fetch less and attract a less desirable style of tenant4 ,considering the saving in upkeep of a basement1 labour1 food and keep of one maid1 and the shrinkage of general expense which occurs when two maids are kept rather than three1 it would pay the tenant well to expend the extra #cj a year4 ,even were the saving of expense no object1 the additional comfort of a labour-saving house is worth the extra rent4 ,with the cost of heating by gas rather than coal ,i will deal later1 but it must always be borne in mind that with coal range and coal fires in1 say1 three or four rooms in such a house the labour is made far greater1 and also the rooms become far dirtier4 ,in my own dining-room1 where there is a gas fire1 the dirt and dust is most noticeably less than in the drawing-room1 where we burn coal4 ,i said at the beginning of this chapter that there were at least two methods of turning labour-making into labour-saving houses4 ,let us now suppose that we have to deal with another basement house1 but that in this case the basement is neither deep nor dark4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xv ,a ,,well ,,fitted ,,bathroom ,,with ,a ,,gas-,,heated ,,towel ,,rail ,,and ,,fixed ,,washstand ,a ,second ,suggestion for a ,labour-,saving ,house4 ,the front room is quite light and cheerful1 with a good view of the street4 ,the back room is rather dark1 and has a narrow area facing into a strip of garden4 ,the house contains but five bedrooms1 so that the basement cannot well be spared4 ,here ,i would use the front room 7made very light and gay with paper and paint7 as a combination servants' sitting-room1 pantry1 and store-room4 ,the kitchen should be tiled if feasible--if not1 papered with a white-tiled paper--and floored with black-and-white linoleum in order to make it as light as possible4 ,the back area must be enlarged so as to give more light and air1 and some steps should lead into the garden1 where the maids can sit in hot weather4 ,at present the basement consists of a front room and kitchen1 coal cellars under the pavement1 a lavatory1 and a little piece at the end of the passage leading to the back area1 which can be arranged for a knife- and boot-cleaning place4 ,but there is no larder4 ,this must be built4 ,a door is cut to lead out of the kitchen into a tiny lobby1 out of this lobby one door opens into the white-tiled1 well-ventilated larder1 and the other into the area4 ,the basement is now as light and airy as any basement can be4 ,there is no scullery1 but that apartment is unnecessary in most houses and certainly unnecessary in a small house where two1 or at most three1 servants are employed1 and which contains a pleasant room in which they can sit and have their meals4 ,the kitchen should be fitted with a gas or electric cooker and a gas or coke hot-water furnace4 ,the front room is warmed by a gas stove1 and in order to make up for the extra work entailed by the basement1 a service lift is installed1 with double hatches opening from kitchen and pantry1 and from dining-room and smoking-room1 which are directly over the kitchen and pantry4 ,this house is completed by a ground floor cloakroom and two bathrooms1 gas fires everywhere but in the drawing-room1 telephone bells1 and in each room a tiny gas ring1 so that in case of illness or other emergency hot water or hot food can be obtained without troubling the maids4 ,with all these labour-saving arrangements two servants are able to do the work with ease1 and to do it in such a way as is required by ,english gentlepeople1 who entertain more than do their compeers in continental countries4 ,when planning and furnishing a house1 say to yourself over and over again1 ,some one will have to keep this clean4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xvi ,,the ,,illustration ,,shows ,a ,,potterton ,,cooker ,,taken ,,to ,,pieces ,,for ,,the ,,regular ,,cleaning ,,given ,,by ,,all ,,careful ,,cooks4 ,the fitments of all modern gas cookers are readily removable1 and easily cleaned4 ,,iii ,but in addition to structural labour-saving arrangements1 these rearranged houses are furnished in a labour-saving manner4 ,except in the drawing-room1 there is as little furniture as possible1 for crowded rooms are difficult to clean and take a long time to keep in order4 ,wherever it is seemly1 the floors are fitted with linoleum1 for no other floor covering is so cleanly or so easy to keep in good condition4 ,when there are rugs1 they are sufficiently light to be easily shaken4 ,fitted carpets are taboo4 ,had money been no object the floors of the sitting-rooms would have been of polished wood1 but in these two cases the surrounds were of linoleum and the carpets square1 tightly strained and not of too thick a pile4 ,these can be quickly swept with a ,bissel sweeper and cleaned from time to time with a suction cleaner1 while of course long-handled mops are used for the linoleum4 ,in kitchen and pantry the supply of pots and pans1 china1 etc41 is limited to what is necessary1 and but little silver is used4 ,most of the food is cooked and served in casseroles1 and so the washing up is lessened4 ,the knives are of stainless steel and merely need washing4 ,in the two cases quoted the people who inhabited the houses were of the class who are accustomed to luxury1 and a considerable amount of door opening1 telephone answering1 and informal entertaining had to be allowed for4 ,without labour-saving arrangements1 four servants1 or three with a charwoman twice a week1 would have been needed to do the work really well in the larger house1 while three would have been required in the smaller house4 ,but supposing that the family was small and a simpler style of living needed1 and that little or no entertaining took place1 the mistress of the house and one good servant could have done the work of either house without undue strain and allowing each an ample amount of free time4 ,those people who talk as if doing the work of the house was a pleasant occupation for one's spare hours speak without understanding of their words4 ,the keeping of her house must be the profession of the servantless woman1 but by adopting labour-saving methods she may yet have time and energy for other interests4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xvii ,,john ,,wright',s ,b4,t4,u4 ,,circulator ,,is ,,intended ,,to ,,heat ,,water ,,which ,,circulates ,,through ,,pipes ,,into ,,hot ,,water ,,storage ,,tanks1 ,,and ,,is ,,particularly ,,suitable ,,for ,,connecting ,,up ,,to ,,hot ,,water ,,apparatus ,,already ,,in ,,the ,,house4 ,the ,no4 #cjbj is suitable where the ,storage tank or cylinder does not contain more than #bj gallons1 and the ,no4 #bjdj will suit a tank or cylinder of #dj gallons capacity4 ,,chapter ,v ,,what ,,this ,,chapter ,,is ,,about ,a ,list of ,daily ,duties in a ,labour-,making ,house--,a ,house-,hunting ,experience--,managing with one ,servant in a ,labour-,saving ,house4 ,,chapter ,v ,,the ,,work ,,of ,a ,,labour-,,making ,,house1 ,,and ,,the ,,work ,,of ,a ,,labour-,,saving ,,house ,i ,those women who have never been obliged to undertake any domestic duties have little idea of the amount of work which has to be done in the average house4 ,the following is a list of duties1 and we must add to it the answering of bells1 tidying up after untidy people1 any personal services required 7in many cases this is considerable71 door opening1 telephone answering1 letter posting1 note and message taking1 running out for things which have been forgotten1 whistling for cabs1 waiting in the hall to see visitors out1 etc41 window cleaning1 washing1 mending1 listing house linen for the laundry1 extra work at special cleaning times1 sweeps' visits1 etc4 ,household ,duties4 ,light kitchen fire2 one or two days a week clean flues and thoroughly clean range4 ,get in coal4 ,clean doorstep and brasses4 ,make tea1 cut bread and butter1 and take trays and hot water to bedrooms4 ,draw curtains1 put washstands and possibly baths ready4 ,brush clothes1 clean and take up boots4 ,sweep stairs1 do hall and sitting-rooms1 grates and coals4 ,get breakfast and set and serve it for servants and dining-room4 ,clear and wash up4 ,knife cleaning4 ,area or backyards to brush out4 ,kitchen and back premises to clean4 ,housework and turning out of rooms4 ,polishing bright metal1 silver cleaning and pantry work of all kinds4 ,cooking1 washing up and cleaning after cooking4 ,keep a supply of coal ready4 ,laying1 serving1 and washing up lunch and servants' dinner4 ,tidying the washstands after lunch4 ,tea4 ,shutting up rooms1 bedroom work1 hot water1 etc4 ,wash up tea4 ,dinner4 ,cooking1 washing up and tidying4 ,pantry work4 ,servants' supper4 ,bedroom work1 hot bottles4 ,bed4 ,these duties entail rising at any hour between six and seven1 bed at any time between nine and eleven1 at the best a fourteen and a half hours' day1 during which hours in an easy situation the maid will have two and a half hours for meals 7though parlourmaids and general servants cannot always enjoy uninterrupted meals71 and about one and a half hours for reading1 working1 etc41 leaving a ten-hour working day4 ,from this deduct half a day a week and half of each alternate ,sunday4 ,i contend that quite a third of this labour might be eliminated1 and what remained greatly lightened by the adoption of labour-saving methods4 ,the following experiences are interesting as depicting the extraordinary difference in the amount of work which is exacted in a labour-making and a labour-saving home4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xviii ,,the ,,acmefont ,,builders' ,,set ,a combination of circulating ,boiler1 #bj-dj gallons storage ,cylinder1 the circulating pipes between ,boiler and ,cylinder1 and stand for the whole4 ,this is a very suitable apparatus for fitting into houses where there is little available space4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,x,v,i,i,ia ,a ,,gilled ,,circulator ,can halve your work and double your comfort4 ,it can provide a continuous supply of hot water in the kitchen1 scullery1 bathroom1 and bedrooms at all times of the day and night4 ,it needs no attention and is thoroughly reliable4 ,it can be hired from most ,gas ,companies for a quarterly rental4 ,labour ,making4--,a ,house-,hunting ,experience4 ,it has fallen to my lot of late to inspect quite a large number of furnished houses and flats1 and although my peregrinations have been limited to dwellings in what are known as 'good situations1' at fairly high rents1 ,i have found such dirt and disorder as surely should only be excused by dire poverty4 ,as a general rule the sitting-rooms were more or less clean1 but in few cases did bathrooms and lavatories1 kitchen and servants' premises fulfil the pleasant anticipations induced by the sight of the drawing-room4 ,stained and blackened walls1 dirty-looking baths1 fusty sinks1 make one long for 'seven maids with seven mops1' and even with their help ,i1 like the carpenter1 am doubtful of the success of their labours4 ,three1 at all events1 of the flats which ,i visited were so furnished that it was impossible to keep them clean1 while several others might have been properly kept1 given the services of a housemaid determined to clean in spite of every obstacle4 ,very naturally1 however1 there are few such treasures to be met with1 and ,i cannot but feel that it would be sad to waste them upon mistresses with so little idea of domestic sanitation as must have been the ladies who inhabited these flats4 ,only one of the flats and two of the houses on the long lists submitted to me did ,i find really well arranged and well kept4 ,this state of affairs may be explained to some small extent by the fact that people who take a pride in their houses or who have just had them done up do not let them4 ,still1 although a house may be shabby it still may be clean and arranged in such a way as to enable the servants to perform their duties with good results and no unnecessary trouble4 ,now1 let me describe to you one flat which ,i regard as an example of everything which a dwelling in a dirty town should not be4 ,it was an apartment consisting of three sitting-rooms1 four bedrooms1 bath1 pantry1 and kitchen4 ,the long passage-hall of good width was very dark1 partly because its four large windows had been so treated that hardly any light penetrated through them1 and partly because the walls were papered dark green4 ,as ,i progressed down this dismal tunnel ,i caught my foot in some obstruction and fell against a large piece of furniture4 ,the servant then turned on the electric light and ,i discovered that the floor was covered with felt and by no less than twelve rugs1 in a large hole in one of which ,i had caught my foot4 ,by this time ,i had quite decided that nothing would induce me to take such a flat2 but1 like ,barry ,pain's ,eliza1 my love of looking over other people's houses is so great that ,i continued my tour of inspection4 ,the dining-room was crammed with large and handsome pieces of furniture1 so large and so many that nothing less clever than a pantomime contortionist could have waited at table when the diners had taken their places4 ,the walls were dark red and dirty2 the curtains of thick padded and lined tapestry were stiff and sticky with grime4 ,in the drawing-room there was more really beautiful furniture and some exquisite ,persian rugs on a dirty felt carpet4 ,the curtains were of brocade1 and there was a quantity of valuable china1 much of it1 sad to say1 badly cracked4 ,it was a room in which only an experienced housemaid should have been trusted1 and much time should have been allowed to clean it satisfactorily4 ,but a cook and a young house-parlourmaid were responsible for all the work of the flat4 ,in the bedrooms dresses and coats hung on pegs on the doors1 and cardboard boxes were piled on the tops of wardrobes and under the beds4 ,the bath was minus most of its paint1 the double bedroom for the servants was furnished with a strange collection of lumber1 and the kitchen was frankly dirty1 one corner of it being taken up by a lovely old walnut wood tallboys in a shocking state of ill-usage4 ,now1 although this was certainly the worst of the flats and houses at which ,i looked1 it was no uncommon thing to find dresses hanging out in the dust1 boxes piled under beds1 ill-kept baths and sinks1 and floors so covered that it must take hours of work every week to keep them more or less clean4 ,indeed the result of my house-hunting led me to think that the average woman decorates1 furnishes1 and arranges her house in order to make it as difficult as it can be made to keep it clean4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xix ,,an ,,all ,,gas ,,kitchen ,,in ,a ,,flat ,an all-gas kitchen in a modern flat fitted up by the ,davis ,gas ,stove ,co41 ,ltd4 ,the illustration shows a gas cooker1 with hot plate3 a gas fire1 with refuse destructor above4 ,to the left of the fire-place is a circulator with storage tank over it1 the pipes of which are carried through the linen airing cupboard1 which is here shown open4 ,how we manage with ,one ,servant in our ,labour-,saving ,house4 ,i have always been interested in your labour-saving ideas4 ,i married1 and we were comfortably off4 ,we have a tiny ,london house and ,i arranged to have gas fires1 cooker1 and circulator1 service lift1 and also a rubbish destructor1 as ,i hate nasty-smelling dustbins4 ,we can only have one bathroom1 but there is hot and cold water1 a sink and slop sink on the top floor4 ,gas fires are much improved and ours are really attractive to look at and well ventilated2 but of course ,i would rather have coal to sit by1 and we did have two coal fires at first2 but now1 since the war1 ,i have all gas1 because we are far worse off and living is so dear1 and instead of two maids ,i now have only a general servant4 ,we used to entertain in a mild sort of way a very great deal1 but most of that naturally has come to an end4 ,my husband is delicate1 and ,i don't like him to have cold meals at night1 so when ',general ,jane' is out 7and ,i let her go out as often as possible71 we have dinner laid1 and soup1 a hot dish such as braised cutlets1 chicken en casserole1 stewed steak 7often it's silverside really71 with vegetables in it1 and a dish of potatoes put ready on a heater on a side table ,i keep for the purpose4 ,there is a cold sweet1 so we do very well4 ,i clear everything away and put dishes1 etc41 into the lift1 which takes about six or seven minutes4 ,our bedrooms are linoleum floored and very empty4 ,my own researches into domesticity prove to me that a crowded room is a bane to the housemaid4 ,our ex-parlourmaid1 an admirable worker1 told me that our rooms 'took half the time to clean than most4' ,what the house-parlourmaid said3 ,your rooms take half the time to clean of most1 ma'am1 and then look clean1 which is more than some do4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xx ,x,xa ,,sugg',s ,,compact ,,gas ,,kitchener is fitted with one large and one small oven1 a great boon where the amount of cooking varies4 ,underneath the small oven is seen a closet for warming plates4 ,the ,hot ,plate shown separately is fitted with six boiling burners and a grill burner4 ,,ii ,i have an idea about gas cookers3 they should be made longer and not so high1 then they could be mounted at a convenient height4 ,but ,i suppose they are planned to take up as little space as possible4 ,it's all the stooping that makes domestic work so tiring4 ,jane does not go out until six o'clock on weekdays1 and #c4cj every ,sunday4 ,we always go out to tea on ,sundays1 and the supper is left ready4 ,we keep the house clean and have nice cooking and things well served and are very comfortable4 ,i have people to lunch now and then and intimate friends to dinner1 and by means of my hot plate and careful choosing of food1 our ,jane is dressed for lunch and able to wait at table1 and ,i doubt if it occurred to anyone that there was not a cook in the kitchen4 ,not that it would have mattered if it had6 ,it is not considered derogatory for an educated1 refined woman to become a hospital nurse4 ,is the nursing of the sick more important to the ,nation than the proper feeding1 housing1 and bringing up of the rising generation8 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxi ,a ,,kitchen ,,in ,a ,,small ,,non-,,basement ,,house ,the gas appliances here consist of a gas cooker and plate rack2 a gas fire on which is fixed a boiler serving the storage tank above1 and the circulating system to every tap in the house2 copper suitable for home-washing1 etc4 ,the wash copper is fitted with a pipe which carries the steam into the kitchener flue1 and is also fitted with a tap which serves to draw off dirty water4 ,this combination of gas appliances is a veritable boon in servantless or one-servant houses or flats4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,what ,,this ,,chapter ,,is ,,about ,the ,management and ,work of a ,five ,bedroom1 ,three ,sitting-room ,london ,house--,a ,labour-,saving ,country ,house--,a ,labour-,saving ,flat--,one ,visiting ,maid instead of ,two ,servants--,a ,suburban ,house--,a ,cookless ,household--,a ,labour-,saving ,household in a ,provincial ,town4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,other ,,people',s ,,experiences ,,of ,,labour-,,saving ,,homes ,i ,a ,five ,bedroom and ,three ,sitting-room ,london ,house4 ,i have been much interested in your labour-saving articles4 ,i send you a description of our new house4 ,we have adopted many of your ideas4 ,the family consists of myself and husband and two just-grown-up daughters4 ,it so happened that some months ago we lost a little money1 and we also came to the conclusion that we had been for some time spending more than we should have spent4 ,our house was rather expensive for our means2 we kept five servants1 entertained considerably in a simple manner1 and lived easily4 ,finally1 we decided to sell the house and take one which was smaller and possible to run with a lessened staff1 and1 at the same time1 if the servant difficulty became more acute1 such a house as would attract domestics by reason of its labour-saving arrangements4 ,a house was found1 light1 airy1 quiet1 in the required position1 of suitable size1 but absolutely lacking in modern improvements4 ,as it stood it consisted of3 ,basement4--,large front kitchen1 back room 7dark71 lavatory1 good wide shallow front area1 easy stairs up to first floor1 a washhouse built out from back room1 two cellars1 small wine cellar1 no larder4 ,ground ,floor4--,dining and back dining-room 7double doors71 fairly wide hall1 and passage out to garden at back1 and lavatory 7very old-fashioned74 ,first ,floor4--,front and back drawing-rooms--total length1 #bh feet2 width of front room1 #ah feet2 back room1 #ab feet4 ,second ,floor4--,two bedrooms4 ,third ,floor4--,two bedrooms1 large cupboard on top landing4 ,neither electric light1 bathroom1 nor hot water4 ,a satisfactory lease could be had1 and owner would put in new drainage and put house in outside repair4 ,rent only #ajj a year if tenant would spend a certain sum on the house4 ,for convenience ,i will call ourselves ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,a4 ,after much consideration ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,a4 came to the conclusion that they would take the house and spend #cej in structural alterations4 ,after this had been decided1 and the work begun1 the war broke out1 and ,mr4 ,a4's income fell 7at all events temporarily7 to about #a1ajj a year4 ,he was1 however1 still in a position to spend #cej owing to the sale of the first house1 for which a good premium had been obtained1 and1 being a person of some wisdom1 he realised that the #cej would certainly swell into #ejj1 though of that sum a part would be spent on decoration and moving expenses4 ,the arrangement of the house was to be as follows3 ,basement4--,front ,room 7already fitted with white-glazed sink and tiled back7 to be used for pantry1 servants' hall1 workroom4 ,gas stove1 linoleum on floor1 green paint 7varnished71 light floral paper4 ,room was very light when furnished1 and pleasant4 ,it was supplied with a large linen cupboard and fitment cupboard for work materials and dress stands1 pantry things1 spare glass and china1 chintzes1 pillows1 blankets1 etc4 ,this was fitted right across the end of the room4 ,back ,room3 ,kitchen4--,here a hot-water furnace to burn coke and rubbish and to heat water for pantry and kitchen1 three lavatory basins1 two bathrooms1 and one large radiator in hall was installed2 gas cooker1 white-glazed sink1 white-tiled paper1 green varnished paint2 service lift from kitchen to back dining-room1 cleverly arranged to open either from pantry or kitchen1 and to serve dining-room or back dining-room 7to be used as smoking-room74 ,a door was cut into the washhouse1 which was connected by a lobby with a door with perforated zinc panels1 opening into back area to ventilate kitchen and prevent the hot air from reaching the larder2 large window in larder1 white-tiled walls4 ,back area enlarged to give more light and air to kitchen4 ,all basement paint green varnished1 white-tiled paper1 stairs recased1 telephone bells to all floors4 ,ground ,floor4--,dining-room4 ,panelled walls1 mahogany finished doors and lift hatch4 ,by means of lift servant need not leave the room while waiting4 ,gas fire and ring with heater for hot plates1 etc41 over it2 linoleum parquet surround1 square carpet4 ,smoking-,room4--,ditto in all respects save for furniture and gas ring4 ,telephone here1 can be heard in basement2 lift also opens into this room4 ,if dinner-party for more than eight is given1 the double doors can be opened and dinner served from this opening of the lift4 ,hall4--,linoleum and rugs2 passage into garden continued and widened1 making extension large enough for a cloakroom1 hot water1 w4c41 basin1 etc4 ,over the hall extension1 small new bedroom1 just large enough for folding bed1 dressing-table1 fitted washstand1 tiny hanging cupboard4 ,large window and glass doors1 muffled1 to give light to stairs4 ,double ,drawing-room4--,the only coal fire and fitted carpet in the whole of the house2 pile carpet up to next half-landing1 after that fitted linoleum with rubber treads to edges of stairs4 ,second ,half-,landing4--,bathroom4 ,tiled dado1 lavatory1 and wash basins1 glass shelves4 ,second ,floor3 ,bedrooms4--,green linoleum1 rugs1 small beds1 gas fire and gas ring for kettles4 ,third ,floor3 ,half-,landing4--,bathroom4 ,tiled dado1 lavatory1 hand basin1 and hot cupboard for airing and for housemaid's brushes4 ,third ,floor4--,girl's room in front1 gas fire and ring4 ,room for two maids at back4 ,linoleum everywhere1 small beds4 ,all paint on stairs1 hall1 gentlemen's cloakroom black4 ,electric light everywhere4 ,the house now consisted of a double drawing-room1 dining-room1 smoking-room1 five bedrooms1 kitchen1 pantry1 servants' hall and workroom combined1 gentlemen's cloakroom and two bathrooms4 ,the income did not permit of more than two servants being employed1 namely1 single-handed cook and house-parlourmaid2 wages #bf each4 ,in addition they arranged two days a week for a charwoman4 ,one week1 on ,wednesday1 she turned out the drawing-room1 which contained valuable glass1 furniture1 and china 7not at all a labour-saving room672 the other week turned out the dining-room and tidied the drawing-room4 ,in the afternoon she washed and ironed blouses1 handkerchiefs1 etc41 which had already been put to soak1 and in some cases washed1 by one of the girls4 ,on ,friday she turned out the hall and cloakroom1 and scrubbed out the basement1 and did the cook's work1 that being the cook's day out4 ,the dinner1 of a suitable order1 was left ready by the cook4 ,the regular work of the house was arranged thus3 ,cook4--,clean doorstep1 do hall and dining-room and cloakroom1 all kitchen work and sweeping and dusting of servants' hall1 clean boots4 ,house-parlourmaid4--,do smoking-room and drawing-room and first flight of stairs before breakfast at #h4de4 ,bedrooms1 etc4 ,dressed for lunch at #a4cj2 usual parlourmaid's duties4 ,each ,wednesday fortnight1 as she has nothing to do in the drawing-room1 turns out smoking-room before breakfast4 ,special work3 ,monday1 silver2 ,tuesday1 one bedroom2 ,wednesday1 silver2 ,thursday1 one bedroom2 ,friday1 silver2 ,saturday1 stairs and bathrooms4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxii ,,sugg',s ,,hood ,,and ,,plate ,,rack ,,for ,,gas ,,kitcheners is strongly made of wrought iron with nozzle for flue and with grid shelf1 having cast-iron brackets for fixing securely to the top of kitchener1 japanned white inside and black outside1 or any colour to order4 ,it was arranged the family would use the bathrooms and that no bedroom or washstand work would be needed4 ,each person stripped and turned back her bed and left it to air and ready to be made4 ,one daughter helped to make beds and did a certain amount of washing of oddments1 using the nearest bathroom and keeping a folding table for ironing in her bedroom1 where there was a gas ring for the irons4 ,the three ladies undertook all mending1 and arranging of flowers4 ,each member of the family promised to leave lavatory basins washed and wiped out after use and to avoid by untidiness and carelessness giving any extra trouble4 ,arranging the work in this way the trials of a two-maid household were banished1 for there was ample time for pantry work and the house-parlourmaid to be dressed in time for lunch1 while days out made no difference to the household4 ,with a little careful management of the menu and the help of the lift the one maid could wait on eight people at lunch or dinner if necessary1 and there was no necessity for the harassing ',oh1 we mustn't ask people to tea on ,wednesday or to lunch on ,friday' atmosphere4 ,needless to say1 without a lift1 telephone bells1 and fitted 'washing rooms1' linoleum-covered floors1 uncrowded rooms1 gas cooker1 and hot-water furnace1 which does not require flue cleaning and needs but little attention1 it would be impossible to keep a ,london house of the size spick and span1 and run in the way in which people accustomed to a larger establishment expect4 ,the furnace consumes about two scuttlefuls of coke a day1 and needs paper1 wood1 and a little coal to start it4 ,half an hour suffices to heat the bath water4 ,after breakfast rubbish of all kinds is burned1 and but little heat is needed for the remainder of the day1 unless baths at night are required4 ,a kettle is kept on the furnace1 or when any dish is to be simmered slowly it can stand on the furnace1 and the gas stove burned only when quite necessary4 ,in hot weather the furnace is let out after lunch4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxiii ,,an ,,all ,,gas ,,kitchen ,,in ,a ,,basement ,,house ,this sketch shows the gas cooker with hot plate over4 ,a small bungalow cooker for use when one or two persons only are to be served1 and a coke boiler which heats the hot water required in the house 7including #b baths and #b radiators7 and is surmounted by a useful flat plate upon which a stock-pot or casserole can be kept simmering for hours without use of extra fuel4 ,the coke boiler in this instance serves to heat the kitchen without further firing4 ,on the left of the boiler is shown the service lift4 ,a ,labour-,saving ,country ,house4 ,i have just read your article1 and should like to tell you of a house my husband and ,i have just built4 ,we have occupied it for eight months1 and therefore have tested the various labour-saving contrivances4 ,it was built and designed under my direction1 in order to save all unnecessary labour4 ,the house is warmed by central heating and electric radiators1 and there is a radiator and complete gas range in the kitchen4 ,we have a double earthenware sink1 with two sets of taps1 in the kitchen1 and no scullery4 ,the furniture is oak1 and only needs dusting1 and there is no brasswork anywhere4 ,the fireplaces are entirely of white tiles1 and we have no use for fireirons4 ,the steps to the front and side doors are of marble1 and the stair-rods are of oak4 ,each principal bedroom 7three in number7 has its own bathroom1 completely fitted1 adjoining1 so that we have no washstands in the house4 ,the servants' bedrooms have each a lavatory basin with hot and cold water1 and a radiator4 ,drinking water is laid on to each bedroom4 ,hot water1 which is really hot1 is from a furnace in the cellar1 and the central heating is worked in the same way4 ,these furnaces work quite smoothly1 and give no trouble4 ,we have a well-heated linen room1 which keeps linen and blankets well aired1 and a light and easily handled vacuum cleaner4 ,we have had no fire anywhere all the winter1 and the temperature of the house1 hall1 stairs1 passages1 etc41 has been very steadily at #fj ,fahrenheit1 day and night4 ,during a frosty spell we keep the furnace going a little more strongly4 ,all the principal rooms have powerful electric wires to enable one to boil kettles1 cook1 iron1 etc4 ,so far ,i have kept three servants1 but ,i find they are so opposed to all my labour-saving devices--refusing even to touch the vacuum cleaner6--that ,i am parting with them1 and am engaging two ladies instead2 and although the house is large enough to require six servants if differently fitted1 they and ,i confidently expect to run it easily and comfortably1 with plenty of time to spare for recreation4 ,consider1 on the other hand1 444 if these women did the work of their homes1 and saved the money which they waste on 444 incompetent servants1 the chief cause of their worry and troubles 444 they could travel 444 and come back to ,england 444 with the thing which more than anything else we stand in need of 444 ideas4 ,life without ,servants4 ,by a ,survivor4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxiv ,,gas ,,refuse ,,destruction ,the ,davis ,domestic ,burn-,all with cover and lid of feeding aperture removed1 inspection door open1 ash tray drawn out and parts described4 ,the ,davis ,domestic ,burn-,all can also be supplied in a larger size 7of double capacity7 for use where the model illustrated would not be adequate for the service required4 ,particulars on application to ,the ,davis ,gas ,stove ,co4 #fj1 ,oxford ,street1 ,w4 ,,ii ,a ,labour-,saving ,flat4 ,i live by myself and have until lately kept two servants4 ,in consequence1 most of my income has been spent on housekeeping4 ,i prefer many other things to food1 soap1 dusters1 and servants1 so now ,i have altered my arrangements4 ,my flat consists of two sitting-rooms1 kitchen1 and three bedrooms4 ,the block ought1 of course1 to have been supplied with a constant service of hot water for heating and cleaning1 but we are behind the times in ,england in these matters4 ,so now ,i have gas fires in all the rooms and a gas circulator and a gas cooker4 ,electric light everywhere4 ,i have made the third room into a box-room1 dress-room1 etc41 and have table1 dress-stand1 and machine1 and a work-woman sews there one day a week and keeps me mended and tidy1 and also makes covers and lampshades1 and so on4 ,sometimes she comes two or even three days if ,i need her1 and except for tailor-mades1 hats1 and a good dress now and again1 she makes all ,i wear4 ,i find this a great economy4 ,all my floors are covered with linoleum4 ,i have weeded out unnecessary furniture1 only keeping really good pieces4 ,i have muslin screens made to fit the windows1 so dirt does not come in1 and having no coal fires1 the rooms keep extraordinarily clean4 ,i have a fitted bathroom and no washstand work4 ,my breakfast ,i have in bed as early as ,i please1 and it consists of tea1 a boiled egg1 and jam or fruit and toast4 ,it is all put ready on a covered tray and ,i have an electric arrangement for boiling water and making toast by my bedside4 ,i turn on the gas circulator and my gas fire and go back to bed and have breakfast and read my papers and letters4 ,by the time ,i want to get up my room is warm and the bath water hot4 ,i generally breakfast at seven1 as ,i like to read a good deal before getting up4 ,my daily servant comes at eight and stays till after lunch4 ,she is able to clean and cook and leave my simple dinner ready1 sometimes in a hay box and sometimes put ready for me to heat4 ,i am seldom in to tea1 and if ,i am it is a simple matter to prepare that meal4 ,i have no objection to answering my door1 but if ,i wish to be ',not at home' the hall indicator proclaims that fact4 ,the porter takes in parcels if ,i ask him to do so1 and cleans boots1 carries luggage1 and gets cabs1 or in these days doesn't get them6 ,i do various little jobs of polishing1 cleaning1 etc41 because ,i like a very clean house4 ,in the drawing-room ,i have an electric fire cleverly made to flicker like real flames4 ,it is nice to sit with because it has the movement that one misses4 ,sometimes ,i have a friend to stay1 and if ,i have friends to dine ,i engage a waitress and keep my out-worker all day4 ,i often have friends to lunch1 but more often entertain at my club4 ,i am more comfortable than when ,i had two maids and my expenses are far less4 ,i think my two young ladies must have been very hospitable1 for my bills were decidedly high4 ,also they seemed to live on soap and dusters1 and to consume incredible quantities of electric light and gas4 ,of course1 if ,i had fires and coals and a kitchen range and crowded rooms1 and wanted elaborate meals1 ,i could not manage as ,i do2 but as things are1 ,i am both clean and comfortable4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxv ,,an ,,all ,,gas ,,kitchen ,,in ,a ,,large ,,house ,three gas boilers are shewn1 one or all of which can be in use as occasion demands4 ,these supply the storage tanks and a continuous service of hot water to four bathrooms1 wash-basins in lavatories and sinks4 ,the hot closet is served by coils from hot water service so that dishes can be kept hot4 ,there is a supplementary method of heating this closet by means of gas burners1 which can be used when the large gas boilers are not required4 ,hot water for a bathroom is provided by a geyser when only one or two of the family are at home4 ,a condensing stove heats the kitchen in winter4 ,this house is warmed throughout by hot water pipes heated by a coke boiler which is used during the winter months only and gas fires are fitted in each room for occasional use4 ,the makers represented are3 ,boilers3 ,one ,john ,wright ,boiler3 ,one ,davis ,boiler3 ,one ,potterton ,boiler ,cooker3 ,john ,wright ,co4 ,hot ,cupboard fitted up by the ,gas ,company to special measurements ,condensing ,stove3 ,richmond ,gas ,stove ,meter ,co41 ,ltd4 ,refuse ,destructor3 ,davis ,gas ,stove ,co41 ,ltd4 ,a ,three ,sitting-room1 ,hall1 and ,six ,bedroom ,suburban ,house4 ,i call this house suburban because it is within 'daily bread' distance of ,london and therefore the neighbourhood is much built over4 ,this enables us to have electric light and a telephone1 and the ,london stores deliver three times a week4 ,i was told that servants were simply appalling1 so bad and so hard to find4 ,so ,i thought we had better be as independent of them as possible4 ,we had taken a small house and were rearranging it1 so ,i decided to have a coke furnace for hot water and radiators and little electric fires in the drawing-room and smoking-rooms1 for cold weather and for the cheering effect a fire gives4 ,the gardener undertakes the furnace and stokes at seven1 at midday1 and when he leaves at night4 ,the house is beautifully warm1 and we have no trouble with radiators or hot water4 ,i have no scullery1 but cook by electricity1 and have a sink in the kitchen1 where there is an alcove with a table and armchairs for the maids1 and they have their own little piece of garden to sit in4 ,there is a pantry1 and the house-parlourmaid can sit there if she wishes4 ,there is a buttery hatch into the dining-room1 and the cook has only to hand the dishes through it4 ,i keep an oil stove in readiness should the electric cooker go wrong1 but so far it has not4 ,the cook's work is greatly lessened when cooking by electricity4 ,we have three bathrooms and no washhandstand bedroom work4 ,the house has polished wood floors1 and rugs and linoleum4 ,it is simply but well furnished1 and ,i have glass over the mahogany toilet tables1 sideboard1 and side tables4 ,very little metal work1 and the doors and woodwork are unpainted4 ,this saves much labour4 ,we have a polished dinner-table and save the cost of buying and washing tablecloths1 side and toilet cloths4 ,unfortunately1 ,i had knives of the old-fashioned kind1 but use a knife machine1 and long-handled mops1 ,bissel sweeper1 etc4 ,in normal times we entertained a good deal1 and then had a woman to help wash up2 but now1 of course1 there is practically no entertaining4 ,i hate linoleum4 ,i like nice1 bright coal fires4 ,i abhor sparsely furnished rooms4 ,i think your ideas are detestable66 ,i knew you would say that4 ,most people are antagonistic to the ideas of other people until they have had time to become used to them and regard them as their own4 ,still1 the title of this book is not ,the ,house of ,my ,dreams1 or ,a ,castle in ,spain1 but ,the ,labour-,saving ,house4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxvi ,,meter ,,reading ,in order to check expenditure on gas and to detect wastage1 leakage1 or faulty registration1 the gas-meter ought to be read regularly1 say once a week1 and a record kept of the amount of gas consumed4 ,meter reading is quite simple1 and it should be no more difficult for an educated woman to learn to read her own gas-meter than a reasonably intelligent child to learn to tell the time by the clock4 ,the only thing to remember is that as meat is measured in pounds and calico in yards1 so gas is measured in thousands 7of cubic feet74 ,if1 therefore1 you have burned ten thousands1 and gas in your district is1 say1 half-a-crown a thousand1 your bill will be ten half crowns4 ,if gas is #c_/- a thousand1 then your bill will be ten times #c_/-1 and so on4 ,a copy of instructions mounted on a card can always be had from the local gas manager1 and hung up in a convenient place near the gas meter until it is mastered by constant use4 ,the meter consists of five dials4 ,of these the top one should be neglected2 then the figures indicated by the four lower ones should be written down from left to right1 and #jj added to the end4 ,if the hand is between two figures the lowest should always be written down1 with the exception that when it is between #i and #j1 #i must be recorded4 ,that is all there is to do3 and by this simple procedure it is possible to find out exactly how much gas has been used during the week1 and whether it is more or less than the amount consumed during the preceding week4 ,if it happens to be more1 then the careful housewife will set about considering the circumstances and seeing in what points she has failed to practice the economies suggested to her4 ,,iii ,my labour-saving ideas were put to the test1 for the gardener was called up1 and the cook was ill1 and ,i could not get anyone else for nearly a fortnight4 ,my husband fed the furnace night and morning1 and he and ,i gardened 7he was in ,london five days a week from nine till seven74 ,the house-parlourmaid 7a capital girl71 and myself1 cleaned and cooked1 and by careful planning we kept the house nice1 and fed well--that is1 as well as one does feed nowadays4 ,i was able to go on with my war work1 and my maid went out often1 as ,i do not approve of shutting up young girls for days together4 ,we covered up the drawing-room and the unused bedrooms and bathroom4 ,when you have no coals to bother with1 housework becomes a very different matter4 ,i put your idea of cooking mornings into practice1 and found that if ,i cooked three mornings a week ,i need do very little on the intermediate days4 ,then cooking by electricity is so easy4 ,there is no stooping to lift things out of ovens1 and the cooker can be put where you want it as regards the light1 and the pots and pans don't get dirty outside4 ,i used earthenware1 and cooked and served in one pot1 and so saved washing up4 ,alice1 the maid1 and ,i quite enjoyed ourselves1 and we made no trouble of stoking the furnace at midday4 ,one thing struck me3 how tiresome to servants it must be when they see people using just as many knives and spoons and forks and plates as they can--for ,i must own ,i began to feel rather mean about the washing up4 ,i think meals had become too long1 and the service far too elaborate1 and the result not worth all the time and trouble it entailed4 ,it makes me sad to think of all the girls and women there are who are tired to death doing work which they could be saved4 ,i often think of the working-class women toiling along1 and having to bear and rear babies all the time6 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxvii ,,making ,,good ,,use ,,of ,,the ,,oven ,,on ,,baking ,,days ,note the two pies one behind the other1 not side by side4 ,a ,labour-,saving ,house in a ,provincial ,town4 ,my experiences may interest you4 ,the family consists of myself1 husband1 a girl of six1 and a boy of three4 ,i kept a nurse1 cook1 house-parlourmaid1 and a 'tweeny4' ,the wage bill was high1 the housekeeping bills1 including replacements1 coal and light1 food and cleaning materials1 excessive1 and we found it hard to get even a fairly good cook4 ,suddenly ,i decided to try the following plan4 ,the house was modern and rather well planned4 ,dining and drawing-room1 small square hall1 kitchen and pantry on ground floor1 a little garden back and front1 and a mosaic doorstep1 only one step4 ,first floor1 four bedrooms and a bathroom and dressing-room4 ,above1 two rooms and box-room4 ,gas is dear here1 and electric current moderate in price1 so ,i had electric fires and cooker put in4 ,there already was hot water on ground floor4 ,i managed to plan a service lift from outside the kitchen to first floor4 ,i then looked over my possessions1 and put away unnecessary things and simplified the style of living somewhat4 ,then ,i engaged a trained lady nurse1 capable of teaching the children for a year or two4 ,the nurse agreed to dust her nurseries1 and ,i gave up to her a nursery1 night nursery1 and the dressing-room opening into the night nursery4 ,the floors of all bedrooms1 bathrooms1 landing1 top stairs1 kitchen and offices were all covered with linoleum4 ,the nurse agreed to dust and tidy the nurseries and take the dishes1 etc41 out of the lift1 and to replace them4 ,i arranged a pantry cupboard for her and she had electric fires and heater for food1 irons1 etc4 ,the bathroom with hot and cold water was next door4 ,my husband and ,i had the other two rooms1 and he had a bath and hand-basin fitted in the one he used for his dressing-room4 ,we thought it cheaper to have a gas circulator rather than an electrical heater for the hot water1 and we had a radiator fitted in the hall and on the first landing4 ,these keep the house so warm that we need wonderfully little in the way of extra firing4 ,nurse has everything she needs to hand1 and says she prefers it to having to ask the maids to fetch and carry for her4 ,she has friends near1 and we can often let her go out when the babes are put to bed1 as ,i can sit in the drawing-room and hear at once if they call4 ,i then dismissed my cook and 'tweeny1' as ,i did not like them very much1 and asked the house-parlourmaid if she would like to stay at an increased wage if ,i undertook the greater part of the cooking and had a charwoman two days a week4 ,our hall floor is mosaic1 and there is a little shed for the perambulator1 so it does not come into the house4 ,we are all called by alarum clocks1 and we make our early tea on the electric heater in our room1 so that the maid has no hot water or tea to bring or calling to do4 ,when dressed1 she goes straight downstairs and lights the gas to heat the water1 does hall1 dining-room and smoking-room4 ,many people live in a continual state of worry because they feel obliged to have a little more of everything than they can afford3 not because they want it1 but because other people think they ought to want it4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxviii ,,large ,,joint ,,suspended1 ,,as ,,in ,,roasting ,,before ,,an ,,open ,,fire1 ,,with ,,pie ,,on ,,top ,,shelf ,,iv ,this is rather a clean town1 and with no fires the rooms do not get dirty1 and are quickly swept and dusted1 and of course there are no coal boxes to fill or carry1 and no grates to do4 ,we find the doorstep only needs doing three times a week1 except in very dirty weather1 and there is no polished metal on the door4 ,we have a simple breakfast of porridge 7cooked the day before71 toast1 done on our own electric toaster on the table1 fresh and crisp and hot4 ,we make our own tea and coffee1 and boil eggs if needed1 and very often have a cold dish1 but about three times a week the maid cooks bacon1 or fish1 or eggs4 ,my husband goes off to work after breakfast1 and is seldom home till six4 ,the maid cleans boots1 and we have the new washable knives4 ,i clear breakfast things and wash them up1 tidy the flowers and see to plants1 etc41 and set to work at my cooking4 ,i follow the plan you once suggested1 and have three cooking mornings4 ,it is wonderful with practice what you get through1 washing up as you go and never getting into a muddle4 ,on the other days the cooking seldom takes me more than an hour4 ,two mornings a week ,i housekeep1 doing accounts1 shopping1 etc41 and on one ,i clean silver4 ,we breakfast at eight and lunch at #a4cj1 so ,i get a long morning4 ,the maid has all morning for housework1 and nurse helps her make the beds4 ,we wait on ourselves at lunch1 and nurse and the children come down4 ,after lunch the maid clears and washes up and tidies the kitchen4 ,nurse gets and washes up the nursery tea1 and if ,i am in and alone ,i have it with her4 ,i don't expect any washing or mending done by the general servant1 as ,i consider she should have two hours' free time in the afternoon4 ,our dinner is very simple--three things1 such as soup or fish1 meat or bird1 sweet1 savoury or cheese4 ,the charwoman cleans kitchen1 back doorstep1 pantry1 passage1 and hall2 washes out rubbers and odds and ends1 and washes up and tidies after dinner4 ,my maid has her family near1 so she goes out two evenings a week from half-past five to a quarter to ten1 and the charwoman stays here till #h4cj on those days4 ,it suits her to come to me at eleven o'clock1 and ,i pay her #cs4 instead of #bs4 #f;d4 as she stays late1 and of course she gets her supper4 ,i have fitted her out with dress and aprons4 ,she won't wear a cap4 ,indeed1 we manage most comfortably1 and the saving is great4 ,i cook well1 and make the best of all we have1 and the economy in gas and light and cleaning things and breakages is considerable4 ,our nice maid1 ,ethel1 is quite one of the family1 and says that getting out on ,sundays1 ,tuesdays1 and ,fridays1 'there is always something to look forward to4' ,in winter ,i consider she should go out by daylight1 so ,i often send her off early on the charwoman's day4 ,if ,i went away from home ,i should engage a temporary cook1 and if we wanted to have a party ,i should have a cook by the day1 and a waitress4 ,i work at a war depot every day1 and often have my tea there4 ,but even after the war ,i doubt if ,i shall alter my ways1 provided ,i remain in good health1 for ,i cannot see why it should be infra dig4 to work in one's own house when it is absolutely 'the thing' to be a general servant or kitchenmaid in a hospital or canteen4 ,man and the ape shared a common ancestor4 ,is it a reversion to type which causes us to scramble about on all fours when we scrub and clean8 ,our developed intelligence should deter us from adopting monkey-like attitudes and time-wasting methods4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxix ,a ,,steamer ,,which ,,can ,,be ,,used ,,to ,,cook ,a ,,whole ,,dinner ,,over ,,one ,,gas ,,ring ,this is made of block tin and boils with very little gas4 ,several forms of steamer1 with from three to six compartments1 can now be bought4 ,the multiple steamer costs much less than three to six single saucepans1 and burns much less gas4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,what ,,this ,,chapter ,,is ,,about ,labour and ,time-,saving ,housekeeping--,ordering in ,advance--,cooking ,mornings--,labour-,saving ,utensils--,the ,late-,dinner ,bogey--,simplified ,requirements4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,other ,,people',s ,,experiences ,,of ,,labour-,,saving ,,homes 7,continued7 ,i ,for many a year ,i have thought that the average good domesticated woman wasted far too much of her own time and that of her servants in housekeeping1 while1 on the other hand1 many women give too little time and attention to their households4 ,clever organisation will do much to lighten the work of a household4 ,take1 for example1 the ordering of meals and the cooking thereof4 ,the average mistress orders the meals each day with no regard except for the needs of that special day1 and the average cook cooks in just the same short-sighted manner4 ,now1 ,i hold that in a well-regulated establishment1 with an intelligent cook1 it should not be necessary to order the meals more than three times a week1 unless special entertaining has to be considered4 ,the mistress knows the number of her household1 and can calculate with sufficient nicety what can be done with the available material1 while the cook should be able to make the most of the various odds and ends which can be utilised for breakfast dishes1 savouries1 servants' supper1 and so forth4 ,where an inexperienced or otherwise unsatisfactory cook reigns1 then a brief daily inspection of larder and back premises in general may be necessary2 but still all the main part of the planning and ordering can be done twice or three times a week4 ,in this book ,i do not wish to deal specially with war conditions1 so let us take1 for example1 a well-to-do country household of four persons 7husband1 wife1 two children7 and five servants1 cook1 between-maid1 housemaid1 parlourmaid1 and nurse4 ,in such a case the maids are1 as a rule1 experienced1 and the cook a woman who receives anything between #bf and #ce a year4 ,there is generally a guest staying in the house1 and a couple of people to lunch on ,sunday1 various friends to tea1 and probably two or three more friends to lunch during the week4 ,the mistress of this house elects to have housekeeping mornings on ,monday1 ,wednesday1 and ,friday1 though1 of course1 it is understood that she will visit the back premises on any other mornings if it is advisable to do so4 ,on ,monday the contents of the larder are as follows3 ,piece of cold roast ribs of beef1 remains of two boiled chickens1 half a ham1 half a cold fruit tart1 some lemon sponge1 some potted meat1 and part of a tin of sardines4 ,now1 meat should always be ordered in advance so that the butcher may have it properly hung4 ,if the larder is not very good the butcher will keep the meat until the day on which it is needed1 otherwise a joint should always be hanging in the larder1 and in this case a forequarter of lamb has been in the house since ,saturday4 ,madame plans her menu1 and writes it in her order book as follows3-- ,,order ,,day4--,,monday4--,,lunch ,,for ,,five1 #a4cj ,p4,m4--7,the two children are present47 ,cold ,beef4 ,salad4 ,mashed ,potato4 ,minced ,chicken with ,pearl ,barley stewed in stock4 ,milk ,pudding4 ,cold ,fruit ,tart4 ,lemon ,sponge in glasses4 ,cheese1 ,biscuits and ,butter4 ,servants' hall same as dining-room1 except for chicken4 ,,dinner ,,for ,,three1 #h ,p4,m4--,cream of ,cucumber ,soup 7made from chicken stock74 ,souffl of ,dried ,haddock4 ,lamb ,cutlets4 ,potatoes4 ,cabbage ,pure4 ,apple ,meringue4 ,sardine ,savoury4 ,,tuesday4--,,breakfast1 #i ,a4,m4--,cold ,ham4 ,scones4 ,fruit4 ,boiled ,eggs4 ,,luncheon1 #a4cj ,p4,m4 7two extra74--,tomatoes au gratin4 ,mousse of ,salmon4 ,roast ,partridges4 ,sauce4 ,crumbs4 ,fried ,potatoes4 ,salad4 ,apple ,gteau4 ,cheese ,biscuits4 ,fruit4 ,coffee4 ,,servants' ,,dinner4--,roast ,shoulder of ,lamb4 ,potatoes4 ,vegetable4 ,pudding4 ,,dinner ,,for ,,three1 #g4de ,p4,m4--,clear ,soup4 ,fillets of ,sole1 and ,macaroni au gratin4 ,tournedos of ,beef4 ,potatoes4 ,vegetable ,marrow4 ,ginger ,cream4 ,curried ,crotons4 ,,order ,,day4--,,wednesday4--,,breakfast4--,col d ,ham4 ,cold ,game4 ,salmon ,coquilles4 ,,luncheon ,,for ,,four1 #a4cj ,p4,m4--,scotch ,broth 7scrag end of ,neck of ,lamb74 ,roast ,beef4 ,yorkshire ,pudding4 ,brown ,potatoes4 ,stewed ,spanish ,onion4 ,bread-and-,butter ,pudding4 ,ginger ,cream4 ,servants' dinner same1 except for soup4 ,,dinner ,,for ,,two1 #g4de ,p4,m4--,carrot ,pure4 ,timbale of ,lamb 7remains of cold lamb74 ,vegetables4 ,fricasse of ,eggs4 ,apple ,tart4 ,,thursday4--,,breakfast4--,ham4 ,toast4 ,potted ,game 7remains of partridges74 ,boiled ,eggs4 ,,luncheon1 #a4cj ,p4,m4 7one extra74--,riz la ,turque4 ,cold ,beef4 ,salad4 ,potatoes4 ,fruit ,compote4 ,junket4 ,cheese1 etc4 ,,dinner ,,for ,,two1 #g4de ,p4,m4--,curry ,soup4 ,fillets of fresh ,haddock4 ,roast ,grouse4 ,crumbs4 ,salad4 ,fried ,potatoes4 ,nut ,sauce4 ,pineapple ,jelly 7some of pine used in ,fruit ,compote74 ,anchovy ,straws4 ,,order ,,day4--,,friday4--,,breakfast4--,egg ,kedgeree4 ,bacon4 ,,luncheon1 #a4cj ,p4,m4--,fish ,pie4 ,knuckle of ,veal stewed with rice4 ,parsley ,sauce4 ,boiled ,damson ,pudding4 ,servants' hall same4 ,,dinner ,,for ,,four1 #h ,p4,m4 7two guests ,friday to ,monday74--,celery ,soup4 ,fillets of ,whiting4 ,chutney ,sauce4 ,souffl of ,veal4 ,curry ,sauce4 ,roast ,partridges4 ,sauce4 ,crumbs4 ,salad4 ,potatoes4 ,compote of ,pears4 ,devilled ,liver ,croutons4 ,,saturday4--,,breakfast4--,game ,toast4 ,bacon4 ,poached ,eggs4 ,cold ,tongue4 ,scones4 ,fruit4 ,,luncheon4--,hominy ,cutlets4 ,beef ,steak ,pie4 ,cold ,game4 ,salad4 ,vegetables4 ,portuguese ,apples4 ,milk ,pudding4 ,cheese4--,servants' dinner4--,beef ,steak ,pie4 ,baked ,apple ,pudding4 ,,dinner ,,for ,,four1 #h ,p4,m4--,clear ,beetroot ,soup4 ,mock ,whitebait4 ,tartar ,sauce4 ,chicken ,cutlets4 ,braised ,tongue and ,sweet ,corn4 ,spinach4 ,mousse of ,blackberries4 ,cheese croquettes4 ,,sunday4--,,breakfast4--,grape ,nuts and ,cream4 ,cold ,tongue4 ,haddock4 ,egg ,dish4 ,,luncheon ,,for ,,eight1 #a4cj ,p4,m4--,mousse of ,chicken and ,tomato ,salad4 ,braised ,beef 7hot74 ,cold ,tongue4 ,salad4 ,vegetables4 ,damson ,tart4 ,pearl ,barley ,cream4 ,cheese ,biscuits4 ,fruit4 ,cake4 ,,supper4--,soup4 ,stuffed ,eggs in aspic4 ,cold ,braised ,beef4 ,salad4 ,potatoes4 ,trifle4 ,stewed ,fruit4 ,savoury ,tartlets4 ,,monday4--,,breakfast ,,for ,,four1 #h4cj ,a4,m4--,porridge4 ,creamed ,eggs4 ,bacon4 ,cold ,tongue4 ,fruit4 ,it is not necessary1 of course1 for the mistress to write directions as to the stock to be used for this or that soup1 etc4 ,these details ,i have added for the use of the inexperienced reader4 ,when a dish is queried it means that the cook must use her own discretion as to whether there is enough chicken1 or whatever it may be1 or if she must substitute some other plat4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxx ,,square ,,and ,,shallow ,,kettle1 ,,which ,,exposes ,a ,,large ,,surface ,,to ,,the ,,gas1 ,,boils ,,quickly ,,and ,,saves ,,money ,illustration3 ,,plate ,x,x,xa ,a ,,single ,,steamer--,,two ,,dishes ,,cooking--,,only ,,one ,,gas ,,ring ,,burning ,the object of ordering in this fashion is that it saves the time of both mistress and cook1 the tradesmen's orders can be given in advance1 and the cook can arrange her work to the best advantage4 ,the butcher should have his orders weekly1 if possible1 and the fish order will probably be sent by post or rail1 the keeper of the poultry yard can be warned of what will be needed from his department also1 and so muddle and fluster is discouraged throughout the establishment4 ,in a town household ,i have practised this method with success also1 and recommend it to any busy woman1 while ,i have never yet known a cook who did not appreciate it when once she had given it a trial4 ,in towns1 because the shops are so near1 cooks are far too liable to leave everything to the last minute1 and the mistresses' telephone bell and the unfortunate tradesmen's boys and horses suffer greatly in consequence1 or the time of the kitchen underling is wasted in just running out to get something which should have been ordered the day before4 ,in houses where the cook is inexperienced1 and food is bought in far smaller quantities1 the daily visit to the kitchen becomes necessary partly because the mistress must see that the premises are kept clean each day1 and partly because the cook may not realise how to make the best of the pieces4 ,half the secret of catering well on a small allowance lies in knowing how to use pieces1 and of taking advantage from day to day of fluctuations in price1 which latter cannot be done in the same way when standing orders must be given4 ,even in tiny households1 however1 the mistress may do much to lighten the labour of the cook1 and to save expense both of coal and material by planning her bills of fare with care1 and showing her cook how she may prepare in one morning various items which will come in during the next two days1 when perhaps there will be less time to spare for culinary efforts owing to the necessity for turning out a room1 cleaning the kitchen1 or washing4 ,the example given is that of a good-sized country house2 but in town it is possible to shop personally and take advantage of the state of the market4 ,even so1 three housekeeping and two shopping days should suffice4 ,perishable odds and ends can be bought when going out on other business4 ,these methodical methods answer well in several small households known to me1 where the mistresses are women busy over social work1 or who have professions4 ,one clever manager sends me the following letter3-- ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxi ,,an ,,oven ,,with ,,hot ,,plate ,,and ,,grill 7,the ,dowsing ,radiant ,heat ,co47 ,cooking in ,advance4--,an ,interesting ,letter4 ,in these days1 when so many women are managing with a smaller domestic staff than usual1 and often doing much of the actual work themselves1 they might try the experiment with advantage of 'cooking mornings1' a plan already mentioned several times by you4 ,it is a method which makes for efficiency and better results with less work4 ,in the first place1 to give up the whole of ,friday morning and a couple of hours on ,tuesday to the preparation of food alone1 means that one has not to leave the housework or sewing on other days to mix one odd dish or so1 thereby effecting a certain saving of time2 secondly1 much less fuel is used than would have been required to heat the stove for the same number of dishes prepared separately2 thirdly1 the labour of washing up and cleaning culinary utensils is much reduced4 ,a really good manager can always plan the meals well for several days ahead1 so if provisions and stores are ordered in beforehand1 that again is far better than constant daily marketing for small supplies4 ,my personal plan1 which answers very well1 is to sketch out menus roughly1 order meat1 etc41 on ,thursday1 and prepare so far as ,i can on ,friday1 something after this fashion4 ,the range1 being well heated1 will cook both in the oven and on the top as fast as ,i can get things ready1 and ,i can usually make two sorts of soup 7two meals' supply in each71 a milk soup for immediate use1 and a vegetable1 lentil1 or haricot pure which will keep a day or two2 then any remains of meat1 game1 or ham are minced and used to stuff tomatoes1 onions1 or potatoes1 and put aside for breakfast or lunch dishes2 fish is flaked and made into rissoles or a pie2 beef steak or shin of beef1 cutlets or rabbit or a pigeon can be prepared and cooked en casserole ready for reheating when required2 a cold dish for ,sunday supper1 which will come in also for breakfast or lunch1 such as a small meat mould1 or a beef galantine is prepared2 next1 a batch of scones1 which keep well in a tin1 and some rock cakes or a plain ginger loaf or sultana cake 7for present use71 and either a good chocolate or cherry cake or some little fancy 'petits fours1' which will be ready in case of emergency1 and1 if not required earlier1 will be just as good towards the end of the week4 ,sweets are the next thing1 and usually four or five are arranged for4 ,a good batch of pastry may be made1 say a fruit tart1 one or two fancy ones1 such as ,bakewell1 treacle1 or custard1 some little jam puffs or lemon cheesecakes or 'maids-of-honour1' which keep splendidly2 in this case a meat pie 7steak and kidney1 rabbit1 or veal and ham7 would be made instead of the cold meat dish4 ,on alternate weeks1 or if pastry is not wished for1 the sweets take some such form as a ,swiss roll1 a batch of castle puddings1 ,french pancakes 7all of which will keep in the invaluable air-tight tin71 with a rice meringue or rice1 cream and fruit for ,saturday1 and a boiled suet pudding of some sort 7ginger1 treacle1 or lemon71 or a steamed sponge pudding for ,friday's dinner4 ,now work this out and see what a well-supplied larder you can rejoice over1 and how little cooking you have to do the next three days4 ,then when ,tuesday comes1 utilise any remains of ,sunday's joint1 make another simple sweet or two1 some cheese straws1 or savoury eggs2 develop more soup out of the stock which will by now have accumulated1 and with a fresh batch of scones1 and perhaps some stewed fruit1 you may count on two more days clear for the many other tasks which fall to a good housekeeper's lot1 and also for the most necessary free time for rest and recreation4 ,moreover1 still another advantage of this 'look-ahead' plan is the ease of mind which the knowledge of your well-filled shelves will give you in the case of an unexpected visitor1 or any other of those unlooked-for emergencies which will arise even in the best-regulated and most business-like households4 ,because everyone else does it scarcely seems a reason why you must do it4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxii ,,an ,,electric ,,kitchen ,,in ,a ,,city ,,institution4 7,messrs4 ,crompton ,co47 ,,ii ,the ,late-,dinner ,bogey4 ,for a long time it was the late-dinner bogey which caused us to keep more servants than we needed1 and to live expensively and rather uncomfortably4 ,at last my husband's dislike of cooks became so passionate 7and not without reason71 that ,i determined to change my household arrangements1 arguing that we could scarcely have worse food than we were having already4 ,my husband1 ,i must explain1 is one of those men who cannot eat a heavy lunch and work after it1 so he needs a hot and substantial dinner4 ,how was this to be arranged with only one servant who went out twice a week1 and a wife who only wished to cook in the morning8 ,well1 we managed thus4 ,we bought a neat electrical heater for the dining-room1 and put the hot dishes ready on it and all the cold things on the sideboard4 ,then when dinner was announced1 the maid waited1 and as she never had to leave the room1 she managed well1 even when we had friends to dinner4 ,after all1 in restaurants food is not cooked just for you1 it is prepared and finished or kept hot in hot cupboards or on hot plates4 ,managing as we now do our hot food is always hot1 and the saving in wages1 upkeep and food considerable4 ,on ,sunday night we have supper with hot soup1 and on the other nights ,i choose such a menu as soup1 stewed oxtail with carrot and turnip1 potato cake1 cold sweet or cheese1 celery1 etc4 ,coffee 7if we need it7 we make in an apparatus in the dining-room4 ,of course1 we had to have a labour-saving house1 otherwise ,i could not have done the work with one servant and a nurse4 ,the writer of this letter uses an electric heater1 but in a gas house the ,utility gas ring with hot plate would take its place4 ,an illustrated booklet and price list of this excellent contrivance may be obtained from the ,gas1 ,light and ,coke ,company1 ,horseferry ,road1 ,s4,w4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxiii ,,the ,,electric ,,iron 7,,never ,,becomes ,,dirty7 7,the ,brompton and ,kensington ,accessories7 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,x,x,x,i,i,ia ,,an ,,electric ,,heater ,,for ,,the ,,side ,,table 7,the ,dowsing ,radiant ,heat ,co47 ,a ,letter from a ,professional ,woman who does her own ,housework4 ,in reply to your letter1 ,i will describe my domestic methods4 ,you can testify1 can you not1 that my little flat is well-kept and that the meals are nicely served8 ,as you know1 the flat consists of sitting-room1 bedroom1 bathroom1 tiny kitchen1 linen cupboard and box cupboard1 and a cupboard in which ,i keep all cleaning utensils4 ,in the bathroom is a fitted basin1 so ,i have not even a washstand in my bedroom4 ,the kitchen sink and bathroom are served by one gas geyser1 and ,i have gas fires and a gas cooker4 ,i should like a coal fire in the drawing-room1 but it would make too much work4 ,there is electric light4 ,there is an 'in' and 'out' indicator in the hall1 and a little box under it for my cards and notes4 ,my floors throughout the flat are covered with a soft1 streaked1 green linoleum 7not the plain1 as that shows every mark74 ,my dining-room table 7just large enough for four7 is round1 and folds flat against the wall in the hall when not in use4 ,i have rugs which ,i can go over with my ,bissel sweeper1 or with my ,good ,housewife suction cleaner4 ,i use the latter for the chairs1 sofa1 mattresses1 and curtains4 ,the linoleum ,i dust and polish with long-handled mops1 and as ,i object to crawling about on hands and knees1 ,i have a special long-handled mop and pail with wringer attached for washing floors and a long-handled scrubber for the kitchen and hall4 ,but when you do your own housework1 and have no coal1 it is wonderful how clean things keep4 ,my knives are stainless steel and need no polishing4 ,i have glass rather than silver1 and fireproof china ware in which ,i cook and serve the food4 ,i have no polished metal1 and ,i use newspapers for most purposes for which other people use cloths4 ,i never dry plates and cups1 but just put them in a rack to dry4 ,my rooms are rather empty1 but what is in them is really good4 ,my day is arranged thus4 ,foreign-fashion breakfast1 put ready over night on a tray 7covered71 with coffee and milk ready mixed4 ,this ,i heat4 ,i light the geyser1 and while the water heats have my breakfast in bed4 ,in cold weather ,i can switch on my bedroom fire from my bed1 and as my gas-ring has a long tube1 heat my coffee without getting out of bed if ,i please4 ,after breakfast ,i get up and put on an overall instead of my dress4 ,with no fires and no washstand work and my long-handled cleaners the work is quickly done4 ,i prepare what ,i need for lunch and dinner2 food is so simple a matter when you live alone3 my lunch1 for example1 is generally milk pudding1 cheese and fruit1 and my dinner of two courses1 meat or fish and sweet or cheese1 and often ,i buy cooked food if ,i am very busy4 ,i work from eleven until three or four4 ,then ,i go out and generally have tea with friends or at my club4 ,i come in1 dine1 tidy up1 put breakfast ready1 and often work for an hour or two1 or read1 and go to bed4 ,i give up ,friday to special turning out and cleaning1 mending1 etc4 ,my entertaining consists of tea or dinner 7not more than four74 ,then ,i have a waitress who clears away and washes up4 ,for such dinners ,i have soup1 fish au gratin1 stewed pigeons with savoury rice1 or chicken en casserole1 potato croquettes1 cold sweet1 cheese1 coffee1 dessert4 ,the kind of dinner which can all be put ready for the waitress down to the last detail4 ,i should detest to exist in a squalid muddle1 but really it is not necessary to do so4 ,living as ,i do ,i can save money4 ,if ,i kept a servant ,i should spend all ,i earn and be no more comfortable4 ,about ,washing ,up4 ,i wonder if ladies who do their own work realise that it is possible to wash up and still keep one's hands nice by using rubber gloves and different sized mops4 ,when ,i began to do my own work for a family of husband and four children ,i had great trouble with my nails splitting4 ,now my hands are as nice as ever they were4 ,i have three mops of different sizes1 one with a brush on the back for hard rubbing4 ,i wear a rubber glove on my left hand 7they cost #as4 #c;d4 a pair1 and ,i have had one pair for months7 and use the water practically boiling1 as one can tilt up plates1 etc41 out of the water with the mop1 and plates slipped into a rack will then require no drying4 ,my saucepan brush has a long handle and the wire bristles are put in on the slant4 ,i can wash up after any meal without wetting one finger4 ,i have an old skewer stuck in the woodwork beside the sink1 and on to it ,i slip the glove to dry between washings up4 ,i have found it a great saving of time and trouble1 too1 to have long-handled sweeping brushes1 and ,i have ordered a long-handled hard scrubbing brush1 mop1 and wringer1 so that ,i can do the scullery and kitchen1 etc41 without getting down on my knees or putting my hands in water4 ,the higher a woman's education1 the better housewife she ought to be4 ,when ,molire was so hard on learned women1 he was not making fun of erudition1 but of the affectation of erudition1 which relegated into a corner all homely virtues4 ,first ,aid to the ,servantless1 ,by ,mrs4 ,j4 ,g4 ,,fraser4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,what ,,this ,,chapter ,,is ,,about ,counting the ,cost--,the ,cost of ,service as well as of ,material--,coke ,furnaces--,radiators--,how to ,light and ,stoke a ,coke ,furnace--,rubbish ,burning--,some ,figures--,two ,examples of ,houses in which ,coke ,furnaces are used--,a ,maisonette in which a ,gas ,circulator is used--,taking ,advice--,gas for ,water ,heating and for ,lighting--,gas ,fires--,the ,gas ,cooker and how to use it--,the ,cost of ,gas ,cooking--,cooking ,utensils--,cleaning--,rubbish ,destructors--,slot ,meters--,reading the ,meter4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,coal1 ,,coke1 ,,and ,,gas3 ,,how ,,to ,,use ,,them ,,to ,,the ,,best ,,advantage ,i ,of all labour-saving forces at present available1 ,i think we must regard electricity and gas as the most important4 ,often1 however1 it is not for us to choose which we will employ4 ,we must needs use gas if electric current is not available1 and we must count the cost of both before deciding whether or no we may employ either4 ,counting the ,cost4 ,counting the cost is not so simple a matter as it seems1 for it does not suffice to ascertain the price of gas per #ajjj feet1 and of electricity per unit1 and of coal and coke per ton1 and of wood per #ajj bundles1 because you have also to ascertain what you can save in labour and in other items before you can arrive at any just conclusion4 ,let us suppose that you decide to build a house and warm it by hot water1 to light it and to cook by gas or electricity4 ,in that case you could save the cost of grates1 chimneys1 the kitchen range1 fenders1 fireirons1 coal boxes1 chimney sweeping1 a considerable amount of cleaning1 and the labour of the people who would be needed to handle the coal and do the cleaning4 ,so you must consider the matter carefully1 not forgetting that it is further complicated by the fact that you may find it difficult to obtain servants1 and that it might pay you to use gas or electricity even though coal was cheaper1 because of the scarcity and high cost of labour4 ,you have also to consider that the cost of coal1 gas1 and electricity depend to some extent on the people who use them4 ,one cook1 for example1 will burn nearly double the coal burned by another and obtain no better result4 ,it is the same with gas and electric current4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxiv ,,electrical ,,kitchen ,,of ,a ,,small ,,flat4 ,,all ,,lifting ,,and ,,stooping ,,is ,,avoided4 7,the ,british ,electric ,transformer ,co47 ,the ,coke ,furnace4 ,now1 taking into account the fact that no water company has yet been sufficiently enterprising to provide a supply of hot water1 ,i think the cheapest and most labour-saving method of warming houses and providing hot water is by means of a coke furnace or possibly two furnaces4 ,these should heat all the radiators and supply all hot water4 ,my personal experience of a coke furnace is that it needs but little attention1 and that coke is light1 clean1 and easy to handle as compared with coal4 ,these furnaces do1 however1 need some coal to light them4 ,the procedure is as follows3-- ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxv ,a ,,dining-,,room ,,hot ,,plate4 7,messrs4 ,townshends1 ,ltd47 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,x,x,x,va ,,the ,,dreadnought ,,washing-,,up ,,machine ,which may be worked by hand or by electricity4 ,it is made in various sizes and obviates the necessity of putting the hands into greasy water or of wiping the plates1 cups1 etc4 ,silver may be washed in addition to china in the machine ,how to ,light a ,coke ,furnace4 ,first thing in the morning1 rake out the furnace and keep the clinker 7burnt coke74 ,put in paper1 some sticks1 and a shovelful of coal4 ,light4 ,when burning up add some fresh coke4 ,when well alight1 and the water hot1 add more coke mixed with clinkers4 ,if the water is quite cold it takes some fifty minutes to get it really hot1 though a warm bath would be ready in thirty minutes4 ,if1 however1 the furnace is banked at night1 the water would still be warm at #f4cj in the morning4 ,in my own house1 we need three hot baths before the #h4cj breakfast1 and the furnace must be lighted by #f4cj to #f4dj to obtain them4 ,if the cook comes down late she uses more coal to get the furnace burning quickly4 ,after breakfast the cook feeds the furnace with a little more coke1 the rubbish and some more coke on top4 ,rubbish should not be put in unless the fire is fairly hot4 ,the furnace heats a large radiator1 water for two bathrooms1 two sinks1 and three hand-basins4 ,in winter1 the furnace is banked up after lunch1 and not made up again until before dinner1 and the supply of hot water is constant1 and there can be hot baths at night if needed2 but if all the hot water is run off at night and the furnace is not made up again it naturally takes longer to heat the water in the morning4 ,in summer the furnace is let out after the rubbish is burned2 and with a small household the water for washing up is heated on the gas4 ,one cook who came down late used far too much coal to light the furnace 7which is bad for it1 as it fouls the flue with soot71 threw away all clinkers1 and would not burn rubbish1 and therefore consumed quite one-third more coke than the present cook1 and obtained no better result4 ,still1 all things considered1 ,i know no better or more economical method of heating the rooms and providing hot water in a household of any size than the coke furnace4 ,this ,i should not say were gas and electricity cheaper1 because1 of course1 a water heater which is set going by turning a tap or switch is obviously more labour-saving than a furnace4 ,in almost all households gas or electric heaters are practical1 because if used carefully they are not too expensive1 and in small houses or flats where the mistress is her own maid1 or depends upon help from a visiting worker1 ,i should certainly recommend the abolition of either coke or coal from the labour-saving point of view alone4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxvi ,,an ,,electric ,,cooker ,,suitable ,,for ,,ordinary ,,use ,oven1 grill and toaster plate1 warmer and hot plate4 7,messrs4 ,crompton ,co47 ,some ,figures4 ,i find that in the two years we have used the furnace we have consumed #abj sacks of coke1 but part of it was mixed with the coal burned in the drawing-room4 ,i must also admit that during part of this time the fuel was carelessly used4 ,in addition to the coke burned in the furnace1 coal was needed for lighting it4 ,we used nine tons of coal in two years1 for the drawing-room fire 7a large old-fashioned1 extravagant grate7 and for the furnace4 ,these were partly war years1 and coal cost on an average #ces4 a ton1 and the coke #as4 #b;d4 a sack2 roughly #aa #ajs4 for furnace and drawing-room fire per year4 ,in addition1 the gas bills for two years have been1 for cooker and five fires 7one of the latter lighted in dining-room for about three hours a day1 another burned a good deal in ,christmas holidays1 fire in servants' hall used in the afternoon in cold weather1 and two bedroom fires only for an hour or two in the evening when very cold1 except during a three-weeks' illness1 and one or two days when people had colds71 about #dj4 ,gas is at the war price 7in ,london7 #cs4 per #a1jjj feet1 and 7for war reasons7 inferior in quality to what it was before the war1 and the figure includes meter and stove rent 7two stoves1 kitchen1 and servants' hall74 ,when considering these sums it must be remembered that this is a small ,london house1 and that the furnace in the kitchen heats that and keeps the smoking-room above from ever being very cold4 ,the large radiator in the hall1 heated from the furnace1 makes an enormous difference to the warmth of the house2 also the drawing-room fire was not lighted in the morning except in really cold weather4 ,to the coal1 coke1 and gas bills must be added #ads4 worth of wood during the two years4 ,old boxes were chopped up1 so that if all the wood had been bought it might have amounted to #ahs4 or #a1 say #cb #aj #j for a year's fuel4 ,had we used a coal range and coal fires and had no radiator1 ,i calculate that the cost of coal would amount to at least #ce1 and that we should have used more wood1 and certainly we could not have run the house without more help4 ,when counting the cost of heating1 lighting1 and cooking1 allow for expert's figures4 ,the average servant1 and for that matter1 the average mistress1 is not an expert1 and until she is1 will not be able to obtain the best value for the money spent as does the expert4 ,in another household known to me1 the furnace is larger and more coke is used1 and it is made up at about seven o'clock1 at midday1 and again at night4 ,this furnace heats water for two bathrooms1 three sinks1 four hand-basins1 and radiators all over the house4 ,the house is always beautifully warm1 and only a small fire for company is needed in the drawing-room4 ,in this house there is a coal range for cooking1 but in hot weather an oil stove is used4 ,the quantities of fuel used are for two years3 #ac tons coal1 #ah tons coke1 #h tons anthracite1 #bcd gallons of oil4 ,in a maisonette of three floors1 gas is used for cooking and for water heating and nursery ironing ring1 and coal for dining-room fire1 drawing-room in late afternoon and evening1 and nursery when necessary4 7,child goes to a kindergarten47 ,the cost for coal and gas for the year #aiae was #bh #ajs4 ,in flats where the bathroom is near the furnace less fuel is needed4 ,in all of the three cases mentioned the labour bill would have had to be increased had coal been in use everywhere4 ,furthermore1 a gas expert tells me that with more careful use the bills could be reduced2 but as one is seldom able to secure the services of experts1 allowance must be made for careless usage of fuel when counting the cost4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxvii ,a ,,good ,,type ,,of ,,electric ,,fire 7,messrs4 ,crompton and ,co47 ,the ,use of ,gas4 ,let us deal now with the question of gas1 and suppose that the hot water is provided by a gas circulator1 that it is1 for various reasons1 not feasible to put in radiators1 and that a gas cooker and gas fires are used4 ,there are various kinds of circulators1 rubbish destructors1 cookers and fires1 and so great has been the improvement in their mechanism and appearance that ,i really do not think any objection on the score of health or appearance can be made now to the use of gas4 ,one disadvantage is1 possibly1 that some of the best and most modern fires and cookers cannot be hired4 ,still1 one does not hire one's fireplaces and coal ranges1 so why do we always expect to obtain gas fires and cookers on hire8 ,some fires ,i have lately seen were really attractive1 and would not spoil the effect of any room4 ,readers of this book who wish to see what can be done for them by means of gas should visit the showrooms of the various gas companies1 and especially those of ,messrs4 ,davis1 #fj1 ,oxford ,street1 ,w4 ,good ,advice4 ,before deciding on any special fires1 stoves1 etc41 the customer should ask the gas company to inspect the premises and to give advice as to the best method of dealing with that particular house or flat1 because the choice of apparatus must depend on the situation of the boiler1 the length of pipes needed1 the height of the house1 the position of the bathroom1 and the kind of grates available4 ,in some houses it would be out of the question to heat water by gas1 in others it would be possible and even economical4 ,but ,i regret to have to say that the gas companies do not always seem to have employees capable of giving the best advice4 ,in ,london1 the ,gas ,light and ,coke ,company have a clever staff1 amongst whom are several ladies known as the ,women's ,advisory ,staff4 ,these ladies are extremely helpful1 and when they have talked the matter over with the prospective customer1 will call in experts who deal with the questions of cost1 of fitting1 etc4 ,two heads are better than one1 and therefore ,i always advise the would-be gas-user to pick the brains of one of these ladies 7who are trained cooks as well as gas experts71 as well as those of the male staff4 ,when the cookers and fires have been installed a lady will then call1 free of charge1 and demonstrate the use of the various apparatus1 and it can also be arranged that the fires1 cooker1 etc41 are inspected and kept in order for a nominal sum per annum4 ,gas for ,water ,heating4 ,regarding the use of gas for water heating1 it would be useless for me to go into details1 for only an expert who has seen the house can know how best to deal with the matter1 and whether to advise the use of geysers1 califonts1 hydrotherms1 etc42 or whether gas circulators should be ruled out and a coke furnace substituted4 ,excluding the cost of installation1 and under suitable circumstances1 it is estimated that a large hot bath costs rather less than twopence1 and one less full and not quite so hot1 rather more than one penny4 ,the cost must vary a little1 as in summer time the temperature of the water before heating is higher than in winter1 also the size of baths varies4 ,when using gas for heating1 the baths and fitted basins should not be unnecessarily large1 and note that a square-bottomed bath will need more water to fill it than that which is curved4 ,do not forget that every pint of hot water costs something to make it hot4 ,many improvements have been made in geysers of late1 and they are now as fool-proof as any apparatus can be4 ,but when one has to deal with a girl who will turn on the gas in the oven and forget that she has not lighted it1 shut the door1 and then1 when the house reeks of gas1 arm herself with a lighted taper and start looking for the escape1 it is difficult to estimate against what depth of human folly the gas apparatus must be made immune4 ,geysers are now contrived so that the one apparatus will serve several taps1 and circulators are fitted with concentric burners1 so that when the water is hot the ring is put out and only the small inner burner used4 ,thermostats are fixed to reduce automatically the consumption of gas directly the water reaches a certain temperature4 ,a cut-out system is also applied to existing cylinders and tanks of unnecessarily large size4 ,when using a gas circulator the gas should be turned out when hot water is not required--a detail which many people forget4 ,for example1 one servant heats the water for baths1 washing up and cleaning1 then the gas is put out after lunch1 and is not lighted again until hot water is wanted at night4 ,another keeps the gas burning the whole day4 ,gas for ,lighting4 ,when electricity is available1 ,i should not choose gas as an illuminant1 but when it must be employed it is now so arranged and shaded that the effect is perfect and the blacking of walls and ceiling reduced to a minimum4 ,it may surprise some of my readers to know that gas can now be fitted so that it is switched on and off from a wall switch in the same fashion as electricity4 ,incandescent burners make for economy1 and now bijou burners are to be had suitable for small rooms1 offices1 etc41 which consume less than the large burners4 ,allowing for gas at #cs4 per #ajjj feet1 one large incandescent burner costs one penny every eight hours1 a medium burner one penny for every twelve hours1 and a bijou one penny for every eighteen hours4 ,gas ,fires4 ,when choosing a gas fire see that there is a duplex burner1 so that two or three jets can be turned out1 leaving the centre jets burning4 ,when the room is warm the smaller fire will suffice to keep it so4 ,the best modern fires are noiseless and ventilated beautifully1 and1 as ,i have already said1 they are really pleasing in appearance4 ,nevertheless1 ,i do not advise a gas fire1 however good1 as an economy in a room which is used for hours at a time4 ,the cost of an average fire is said to be #a;d4 per hour1 counting gas at #cs4 per #ajjj feet1 and it does not pay to burn #a;d4 worth of gas per hour for fourteen or fifteen hours at a stretch4 ,from the point of view of money-saving it would be cheaper to burn coal4 ,on the other hand1 supposing a gas fire is lighted in a sitting-room in the morning1 it can be turned out if the family are out in the afternoon1 and not relighted until shortly before they return1 for the advantage of gas and electric fires is that they are red-hot practically at once1 whereas a coal fire takes time to burn up and become hot1 and each time it is lighted it eats wood as well as coal4 ,still1 say what one will1 a coal or wood fire is pleasanter to sit with1 and for that reason1 unless ,i were quite servantless1 ,i would have one live fire in the house4 ,expert advice must be obtained when putting in gas fires in order to be sure that the kind most suitable is obtained1 and the ventilation must be carefully attended to4 ,people often say1 ,oh1 ,i couldn't sit in a room with a gas fire1 having no experience of a well-made1 well-ventilated1 and properly fitted fire4 ,there are old-fashioned1 badly fitted gas fires which deserve every evil thing which can be said of them2 but again there are many others3 there is even a fire which can be set alight by turning a switch at your bedside1 so that you do not set foot out of that warm refuge until the temperature of the room has become pleasant to your lightly clad form4 ,gas ,cookers4 ,when choosing a gas cooker there are many points to consider1 and ,i own that to my mind the ideal cooker has not yet been put upon the market4 ,it is1 however1 bound to come1 and gas cookers1 unlike ranges1 are easily changed4 ,the cooker should have a solid hot plate1#b and not an open top1 but if this make cannot be obtained1 a sheet of iron covering two-thirds of the top of the cooker can be laid on it4 ,one gas burner will heat this1 and several pans will simmer on it at the cost of one burner4 ,the ordinary cooker is generally fitted with one simmering burner and about three boiling burners1 which is wrong1 for to one dish which needs boiling for more than a few minutes1 at all events1 many need to simmer4#c ,the great fault of ,english cooks is that they cook everything too fast1 and the average gas stove does not discourage this naughty practice4 ,still1 this difficulty can be overcome by using the makeshift hot-plate as already described4 ,in addition to the boiling burners there should be a griller1 which is used for browning and toasting1 as well as grilling4 ,the size of the cooker must depend upon the amount of cooking needed1 but it is no economy to have a very small one1 because when the oven is in use it should be employed for almost everything4 ,the average cook bakes a milk pudding in the oven and cooks vegetables and hashed mutton and stewed fruit each on a boiling tap1 and probably uses the griller as well1 and wonders why the gas bills are so high4 ,which will you spend1 brains or money8 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxviii ,,an ,,electric ,,cooker 7,the ,jackson ,electric ,stove ,co47 ,,ii ,when planning out the bills of fare the cook must use more brains and less gas4 ,for instance1 let us say that she wants to serve hashed mutton 7and ,heaven help that it may not be that grey and slimy mass endured in too many an ,english home671 potatoes1 ,brussels-sprouts1 milk pudding1 and stewed fruit4 ,let her heat the oven and cook the mutton in a casserole4 ,the potatoes and sprouts can cook in the oven just as well as over a boiling tap1 the milk pudding is baked1 and the fruit baked in a covered casserole4 ,managing thus1 all the dishes are cooked in the oven4 ,then there will come a day when the oven need not be used at all1 and the meal be cooked on the top of the stove4 ,after all1 cooking is carried out by heat1 and it matters little in most cases if the heat surrounds the pan as in the oven1 or is kept directly under it as by a tap4 ,every oven should be supplied with a solid browning shelf1 not a thing with holes in it4 ,this can be placed where needed1 and by its use the part of the oven above it can be kept #ajj degrees cooler than that which is below4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxix ,,an ,,electric ,,cooker 7,,ovens1 ,,hot-,,plate1 ,,grill1 ,,plate ,,heater7 ,,for ,a ,,large ,,household 7,messrs4 ,crompton ,co47 ,the ,cost of ,cooking by ,gas4 ,a moderate-sized oven1 such as would be needed in a household of not over eight persons1 burns about #cj feet of gas per hour when full on4 ,of that1 #aj feet will be required to heat the oven1 allowing twenty minutes for that operation4 ,then the gas should be turned down so that it burns at the rate of #ae feet per hour4 ,ten minutes later it is turned down again and consumes #aj feet4 ,thus if you use the oven for one and a half hours it should consume #bb feet of gas4 ,in the oven you should find two open grid shelves1 a solid shelf1 and a drip tin4 ,the drip tin must be kept at the bottom of the stove below the gas flames4 ,the dripping falls into this and does not become brown as it would do if the tin was placed over the flames4 ,the drip tin must be kept in its place1 as otherwise too much air would enter from beneath the oven and stop the cooking4 ,if1 instead of hanging the meat from a hook in the oven1 it is baked on a tin1 use a double baking tin4 ,when roasting or baking meat1 use the upper grid shelf for pastry1 and place milk pudding or some other food needing slow cooking above the solid shelf1 and then make the very best use of your oven while it is hot4 ,see ,cooking ,mornings1 p4 #abg4 ,the temperature of the oven to begin with1 for most cakes1 should be #bhj degrees1 for meat #cjj degrees1 for pastry and bread #cdj degrees4 ,an oven thermometer can be procured1 and is a great help to inexperienced cooks4 ,quartern loaves take some three-quarters of an hour to bake1 and use about #be feet of gas4 ,large boiling burners1 full on1 eat about #bd feet of gas per hour4 ,in using boiling burners there is often great waste1 as people will turn them full on and have the flames flaring up the sides of the pan1 which is a waste of heat and causes a smell of gas4 ,the flame should be kept right underneath the pan or kettle4 ,the simmering taps consume about #h feet of gas per hour1 and a clever person will1 by using a three or four-tier pan1 cook several dishes at the cost of about #af feet of gas per hour1 allowing for heating over a boiling tap at first and then simmering for the remainder of the time4 ,the griller uses as much gas as the oven per hour2 but then1 of course1 grilling is a quick operation4 ,when using the grill1 make it red-hot and see that the grill pan is under1 and getting hot at the same time4 ,the grill is used for toasting1 and if you turn over the toasted side of bread on to a cold surface1 it makes it tough4 ,when the grill is hot1 turn the gas down and watch the toast very carefully1 as it cooks very quickly4 ,always keep a large pan or kettle of water over the griller1 as it helps to throw down the heat4 ,do not boil the kettle on a boiling tap and use the griller for toast1 but cook over the griller as well as under it2 and this applies when grilling chops1 steak1 bacon1 sausages1 etc41 for the saucepans can heat over the griller as well as over a tap4 ,on a modern stove1 the grill is arranged so that half of it may be lighted at a time for grilling small things4 ,when grilling meat or fish1 cook with full heat for two minutes in order to seal the pores and conserve the good of the food1 then reduce the heat1 turn1 increase the heat1 and decrease again4 ,thin steak needs about #ab minutes' cooking2 thicker1 #ab to #bj minutes2 chops1 #aj to #ab minutes2 cutlets1 #f minutes2 and bacon #a or #b minutes4 ,pancakes can be cooked by means of the griller first over the grill and then by placing the pan under it1 and omelettes can be made in the same way without turning them4 ,if the oven is not in use1 milk puddings1 macaroni cheese1 etc41 may be cooked on a boiling tap and browned under the griller4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xl ,,an ,,electric ,,kitchen ,,in ,a ,,private ,,house ,above each switch is a red lamp1 which reminds the cook that the current is on4 7,the ,british ,electric ,transformer ,co47 ,utensils for ,gas ,cookers4 ,it is most important when cooking by gas to choose the right kind of utensils4 ,they should be thin and wide1 rather than deep4 ,a deep kettle takes longer to boil and therefore costs more to boil than a shallow one4 ,block tin1 enamel ware and earthenware casseroles and fireproof china should be used2 the two latter whenever possible1 because by cooking and serving in one dish you save labour in washing up and generally have the food served hotter4 ,also food cooked in earthenware tastes better than that cooked in metal pans4 ,both cooker and utensils must be kept clean1 for dirt1 especially soot1 is a non-conductor of heat4 ,they must also be dry4 ,i have seen cooks rinse out a pan and put it on the gas wet1 forgetting that heat is then wasted in drying the moisture on the outside of the pan4 ,in the same way they will boil one quart of water when they only need a pint1 and waste gas in that way4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xli ,,the ,,baby ,,fire ,,in ,,an ,,altered ,,position ,,is ,,now ,,used ,,to ,,boil ,a ,,kettle ,,and ,,heat ,,an ,,iron4 7,the ,british ,electric ,transformer ,co47 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,x,l,ia ,,the ,,baby ,,fire ,a delightful invention for heating small rooms 7,the ,british ,electric ,transformer ,co47 ,to ,clean a ,gas ,stove4 ,a gas cooker is easily cleaned1 and should be well washed with hot water and a little soda1 loose parts and oven too4 ,grease should be rubbed off with newspaper as quickly as possible4 ,the black part of the stove is cleaned with enameline and the bright steel with very fine emery-paper and oil1 and then polished with a soft rag1 or if plated with a leather only4 ,the best kind of stove is mounted as high as possible so that it may be cleaned underneath4 ,also it should be set high to avoid fatigue in bending and lifting when using the oven1 but not so high that the cook cannot use the hot plate comfortably4 ,be sure that no taps are clogged with grease1 and remember that when a gas stove smells it is because it is dirty or because the gas is turned on too full and is not being properly consumed1 or gas is escaping4 ,well-managed gas cookers do not smell4 ,now and then something may go wrong outside the cook's control1 and then the ,gas ,company must send some one to put it right4 ,but when cookers are intelligently used they seldom need attention1 and if it should become necessary to change them1 they are moved without much trouble or any structural work or dirt-making4 ,the ,destruction of ,rubbish4 ,in a household where coal and coke are not used1 and in places where the unsanitary habit of collecting refuse but once a week prevails1 the careful housewife will ask1 what am ,i to do with the rubbish8 ,i could burn some of it in a coal range1 and most of it in a coke furnace1 but if ,i employ gas only1 what is to become of it8 ,the only thing then is to add a gas refuse destructor to your apparatus4 ,in one household known to me 7a ,london flat7 there is a gas cooker1 water circulator1 stove for warming the kitchen when the cooker is not in use1 and the neatest little rubbish destructor--all fitted into a surprisingly small space4 ,warming the ,kitchen4 ,the mere word kitchen suggests warmth1 but the mistress who uses gas must not forget that when the cooker is not in use 7which may often be from #a4cj to #f or #f4cj in the evening1 except for the boiling of a kettle71 and if the circulator is also turned out1 the kitchen would probably be too cold for the maids to sit in4 ,when there is a servants' hall this does not matter2 but if the kitchen is also the sitting-room1 a small gas fire should be supplied4 ,slot ,meters4 ,in order to cater for people of small income whom it suits to pay for the gas they consume in small sums1 and also in some cases to check the consumption of gas1 slot meters have been introduced4 ,no charge is made for the meter1 for the piping of the house or for the stove1 but in order to cover this more is charged for the gas4 ,it may still be sold at a nominal #cs4 per #ajjj feet 7the price of gas varies in various localities71 but the person using a penny-slot meter obtains less gas for a penny than he would do did he not require a meter4 ,the same applies to the shilling-in-the-slot meter4 ,small users1 however1 often find it convenient to use slot meters1 which entails no first cost for installation and no quarterly rentals1 and certainly when the housekeeping allowance is small it is better to pay so much a day or a week instead of having to face a quarterly bill2 also the constant production of pennies or shillings does bring home to the person using the gas that it is not just gas but hard cash which is being used4 ,in some residential hotels and chambers each room is fitted with a slot fire and the bathrooms with slot geysers1 so that the guest knows the exact cost of fire and bath1 and pays it there and then4 ,finally1 all gas users should learn to read the meter1 a simple task which the lady demonstrator will teach or which can be learned from a card of instructions4 ,then the meter should be watched4 ,if an increased expenditure of gas is noticed the matter should be inquired into1 as there may be an escape1 or some one may be forgetting to turn out the fire or lights when they are not needed4 ,but it is so expensive to fit up a ,labour-,saving ,house1 you object4 ,that depends on many circumstances1 the length of your lease1 for example4 ,allow for the interest on the capital you spend1 and possibly a sinking fund to repay it1 and then count what you save in cleaning1 in wages1 in fuel1 etc4 ,often you will find that you get back the money you have spent in a few years4 ,,footnotes3 #b ,see note on p4 #aee4 #c ,when discussing this matter with a great gas expert ,i find that his opinion is contrary to mine4 ,i strongly disagree4 ,the system is wasteful and unsatisfactory1 were his words4 ,with regard to simmering taps1 he also holds a contrary opinion4 ,i again disagree4 ,you can easily turn down a boiling burner to simmering point1 but you can't turn up a simmering burner to boiling point1 he objected4 ,true1 but to me that is the advantage of the simmering burner1 for it seems to me that nothing short of a burner which refuses to give out more than a certain degree of heat will deter the ,english cook from cooking too quickly and by too fierce a heat4 --,d4 ,c4 ,p4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,what ,,this ,,chapter ,,is ,,about ,electricity as the ,poor ,man's ,light--,basement ,rate and ,checking of ,waste--,when ,putting in ,electric ,light--,to ,avoid ,waste of ,current--,makes of ,lamps--,electric ,fires--,the ,electric ,house--,in the ,kitchen--,the ,cost of ,current--,labour-,saving and ,comfort-,giving ,appliances4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,the ,,electric ,,house4 ,,heating1 ,,cooking1 ,,cleaning1 ,,and ,,lighting ,,by ,,electricity ,the ,poor ,man's ,light4 ,some five-and-twenty years ago1 when sixpence a unit was considered a very low charge for electricity1 ,colonel ,crompton1 ,r4,e41 ,c4,b41 claimed that before many years electricity would be the poor man's light2 and if the various supply companies had been developed on the broad lines he advocated1 there is no doubt that his prophecy would by now have come true in every town of medium size and in many villages in the area of supply1 and we now might have been using electric current to light and warm our houses1 to cook by1 and to work various labour-saving machines4 ,as it is1 there are very few places where this term can be applied4 ,still1 in nearly every town the charge for current has been considerably reduced1 and with the great strides which have been made in the efficiency of various lamps1 it can with certainty be said that electricity is the light for those of small means4 ,as the charge for electricity is reduced1 so will it be used on a larger scale for heating and cooking2 but at present the percentage of people using it for cooking is so small when compared with those using it for lighting that ,i propose to deal first with this latter application of it4 ,when considering the question of illumination of a house1 oil1 gas1 and electricity are the three possible alternatives2 and when analysed further1 bearing in mind always the question of cost of labour and the difficulty of obtaining it1 and the cost of cleaning and decorating1 it will be found that the most suitable and economical is electricity4 ,basement ,rate and ,checking of ,waste4 ,in many districts special rates are offered where heating or cooking apparatus1 or motors for pumping1 etc41 are used during the daytime1 also for basement lights4 ,so when arranging for a supply enquiry should be made as to terms4 ,in the case of basement lights in small houses the saving is nearly all swallowed up in the extra meter rent1 but in houses having large basements where it is necessary to use the lights for many hours a day the advisability of going on the special rate is a point well worth inquiring into closely4 ,in spite of the extra hours necessarily burnt by basement lights1 there is no doubt that great waste often occurs in the domestic offices--lights are switched on at dusk in passages1 kitchen1 pantry1 and servants' hall1 and even when all the servants are having supper in one room every light will be found alight in all the others4 ,it is difficult to guard against this1 but if a small notice is fixed to the wall above the switches asking that the light shall be turned off when not in use1 it sometimes has the desired effect4 ,these notices can be bought ready printed4 ,another source of waste which was never realised until the special constable came into being is in the servants' bedrooms4 ,i am told by a member of that body that one of the things which has struck him more than anything since he took up his lonely patrol is the number of lights which are kept burning all night in the top rooms4 ,this can be obviated by a master switch controlling the top floor1 which can be in charge of one of the head servants4 ,it is not advisable to have this in one of the lower bedrooms1 as is sometimes done1 as it necessitates the mistress waking up early in winter when lights are needed before breakfast1 and1 further1 might lead to confusion in the case of a fire or illness in the night4 ,it is impossible to lay down any definite rules for the lighting of the various rooms1 as tastes differ so much as to the amount of light required2 but whatever the individual taste may be1 the naked lights should be so placed that they cannot be seen4 ,this can be accomplished by well-shaded wall or portable lamps or indirect lighting4 ,this latter form has much to commend it1 as it is economical and gives an even distribution of light all over the room4 ,when ,putting in ,electric ,light4 ,it is as well to err on the side of extravagance in the number of wall plugs4 ,when the floor-boards are up it is not a very costly matter to have them put in1 and then when the furniture of a room is altered from the position originally assigned to it1 as is so often done with a new house1 it will not be found that the writing-table or sofa is on the opposite side of the room to the plug to which the lamp required to light it is attached4 ,the placing of the lights and the careful use of them would do much to lessen the bill for current--a fact proved to me when we let our house one winter to a family of the same size1 who used the same number of rooms as we had used4 ,the bill for light was sent in to us1 and thus we discovered that it was just double what ours had been for the same quarter the year before4 ,i put this down to the fact that basement and passage lights must have been burned when not needed1 and that instead of using one or two table lamps when reading and writing in the evening all the wall lights were lighted4 ,to ,avoid ,waste of ,current4 ,the staircase lights should be on two-way switches1 so that they can be controlled from each floor--that is to say1 from the hall you can switch on the hall and first-floor lights4 ,from the first floor you can switch off the hall and light the second floor1 and so on up the house1 the reverse process taking place in descending4 ,if the lights are installed in this way it is not necessary to keep all the staircase lights burning1 as is done in so many houses2 the extra cost of installing is trifling4 ,in bedrooms where there are two or three lights in addition to a table-lamp at the side of the bed it is advisable and convenient to have at least one of the lights in a two-way switch4 ,as regards the candle-power of the various lamps1 so much depends on the size and decoration of the room and the individual tastes of the occupiers as regards the standard of illumination that it is impossible to give any useful guide on this subject4 ,naturally the lowest available candle-power lamps will be fitted in passages1 bathrooms1 bedroom table-lamps1 etc41 but the smallest wire-drawn filament lamps will in many cases be found to be more than is necessary4 ,owing to the construction of these lamps1 they have so far not been made lower than #af candle-power for #bjj volts1 which is a common pressure in towns1 but to compensate for this it must be borne in mind that a #be c4p4 metal filament lamp consumes about the same current as an #h c4p4 carbon filament lamp1 and it is undoubtedly only a question of time before lamps of smaller candle-power and taking less current are put on the market4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xlii ,a ,,breakfast ,,cooker ,,for ,,toasting1 ,,grilling ,,and ,,boiling 7,the ,british ,electric ,transformer ,co47 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,x,l,i,ia ,a ,,toaster ,,for ,,the ,,breakfast ,,table ,you do not need to ring for more toast but make it yourself and eat it while hot and crisp4 7,the ,british ,electric ,transformer ,co47 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,x,l,i,ib ,a ,,pretty ,,little ,,electric ,,hot ,,plate ,,for ,,table ,,use 7,the ,british ,electric ,transformer ,co47 ,makes of ,lamp4 ,the invention and development of the drawn-wire lamp1 made by various firms and sold under trade names such as ,osram1 ,mazda1 and ,z1 have made a great saving in the annual bill for electric light1 and at the same time have raised the standard of illumination4 ,with the carbon filament1 a #cb c4p4 lamp would burn for seven and a half hours with the expenditure of one unit of electricity4 ,now the same light can be obtained for twenty-five hours at the same cost with the metal filament lamp4 ,against this saving must be set the increased cost of the lamps and the fact that higher candle-power lamps are being used1 so the saving is not as large as the above figures would indicate4 ,this type of lamp will undoubtedly be further developed1 and the time is not far distant when the present consumption will be considerably reduced1 so that a combination of lower charges and improved lamps will bring the electric light within the reach of even the poor man4 ,scarcity of labour and the difficult state of the domestic labour market have made many people look round for labour- and dirt-saving methods of warming and of cooking2 and certainly if not as attractive as a coal fire1 an electric fire is both convenient and dirt and labour saving2 it is likewise a boon in bedrooms and other rooms which need to be heated only for an hour or two at a time4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xliii ,,an ,,electric ,,cooker ,,of ,,convenient ,,make ,,suitable ,,for ,,family ,,use 7,messrs4 ,townshends1 ,ltd47 ,electric ,fires4 ,various makes of fires are illustrated in this book4 ,a great advantage of the electric fire is that it is red-hot in a few seconds and may be placed where it is most required4 ,the ,electric ,house4 ,now let us see how things are done in a house which is worked by electricity throughout4 ,a maid is awakened by an electric alarum 7she cannot say that her clock was wrong1 because all the clocks are controlled by a master pendulum74 ,she goes downstairs1 touches a switch1 and sets the hot-water apparatus going4 ,to warm or light a room1 to set the cooker to work1 needs but a touch4 ,an electric service lift makes the laying and clearing and serving of meals a quick and easy matter4 ,there are no heavy trays and cans and coal boxes to haul about the house upstairs and down4 ,the cleaning of the rooms is eased by the use of electric vacuum cleaners1 and when there is no dust and smoke from coal fires the house does not become nearly so dirty4 ,the breakfast dishes are kept hot on a heater4 ,if more boiling water or more toast is needed1 it can be obtained in a moment or two without leaving the dining-room4 ,if you wish to speak to a servant1 you do not ring and wait for her to run up or down stairs1 you telephone your instructions4 ,in the ,kitchen4 ,let us descend to the kitchen4 ,in the average kitchen the coal range is placed where it is difficult to see the contents of the pots and pans1 and each time the cook wishes to put anything into the oven or take it out she must stoop4 ,to stoop and then lift a weight from oven to table adds considerably to the labour of the day4 ,in the intervals of cooking the fire must be made up1 and not only must all the pots and pans be cleaned inside1 but the outside becomes black and sooty1 and must be scrubbed4 ,dampers must be pulled in and out1 and the cooking of the household and supply of hot water attended to4 ,in an electrically fitted kitchen what do we see8 ,a clean1 bright-looking oven and a hot plate for boiling and simmering1 and probably a grill1 completed by a plate heater1 all standing on a table placed in a good light and conveniently near the sink4 ,the cook may sit at ease peeling apples and put out a hand to alter the heat of the oven or hot plate1 or to move a saucepan4 ,if she is a forgetful person1 a red lamp reminds her of the fact that she has not switched off the current from any portion of the cooking apparatus no longer needed4 ,this is not a fairy story4 ,it is a statement of plain fact1 and one into which the public must enquire if it will solve the labour question4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xliv ,,electric ,,oven ,,and ,,hot ,,plate 7,the ,dowsing ,radiant ,heat ,co47 ,simplicity4 ,that electrical household labour-saving appliances are no longer in the experimental stages1 and that now they can be depended upon to work satisfactorily1 is shown by the number of schools and restaurants and canteens in which electricity is used4 ,yet all the cook has to do is to turn the switches and so obtain different degrees of heat4 ,if she needs a fierce heat1 she can secure it in a moment1 while if she requires a gentle heat1 she can secure that1 in either case by turning a switch4 ,if a fuse should go1 it is an easy matter to replace it1 and the watchful red lamp makes it impossible to leave the current on unawares4 ,no one who has seen an electrically fitted kitchen can doubt that it is labour and dirt saving4 ,in a school where three cooks were kept1 two now do the work with ease1 and where a cook and kitchen-maid were needed1 now that all coal carrying1 range cleaning1 stooping1 and so much dirt have been eliminated1 the cook does the work cheerfully and single-handed1 except for the help of a woman once a week to clean areas1 kitchen stairs1 and passage1 and to scrub4 ,the cost of a woman one day a week at #bs4 #f;d4 plus #as4 #f;d4 worth of food amounts to #ds4 a week2 while a kitchen-maid at as low a wage as #af1 with washing1 insurance1 and food1 would not cost less than #ahs4 a week4 ,but there is not only the economy of labour and dirt to consider4 ,there is the saving in the food itself4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xlv ,,an ,,electric ,,fireplace ,,suitable ,,for ,,open ,,hearths 7,messrs4 ,crompton ,co47 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,x,l,va ,,an ,,electric ,,fire ,one great advantage about electric fires is that there is no waiting for them to burn up4 ,they become red hot in a few seconds4 7,messrs4 ,belling ,co47 ,the ,saving of ,meat4 ,i will confine myself to the question of meat4 ,when roasting with coal the loss of weight on a joint is anything between #be per cent4 and #ce per cent4 ,a really bad cook who gallops the meat and does not baste it can effect a shrinkage of even #ej per cent42 but1 fortunately1 in this land of bad cooks there are few who sin so deeply as this4 ,twenty-five per cent41 however1 is quite a common loss1 and even good and careful cooks will account for a #bj per cent4 loss4 ,in proof of this weigh the meat before and after cooking4 ,it is the boast of those who cook by electricity that they reduce this loss to #h per cent4 ,even when cooking electrically it would be easy to cause a shrinkage of #aj to #ae per cent42 while1 on the other hand1 very clever cooks will bring down the shrinkage to #e per cent4 ,allowing1 then1 to be fair1 a loss of #be per cent4 when cooking by coal 7that is a quarter7 and a loss of #aj per cent1 when cooking by electricity1 you have a saving of #ae per cent4 on your meat bill4 ,put this at #ej a year1 and you have saved #g #ajs4 on that item alone4 ,in one case when cooking on a large scale it was found that plates of meat which had cost #e;d4 could be provided for #d;d41 a point which the authorities responsible for the running of canteens for troops and munition workers might do well to note4 ,the ,cost of ,current4 ,we must now consider the question of cost of current1 and here we are in many cases up against a difficulty1 for unless current can be obtained at a reasonable price the use of electricity in the household is not a paying proposition4 ,speaking without inside knowledge of the workings of the power companies1 it would appear that they are greatly to blame that electricity is not in more general use4 ,apparently few of them make any effort to induce their customers to use current for aught but lighting purposes4 ,the offer of a flat rate of #a;d4 per unit for all domestic purposes1 added to an energetic pushing of electrical apparatus and demonstration of its value1 would result in an enormous betterment in the conditions of domestic labour and in the purifying of the air of towns4 ,there are1 of course1 electric supply companies who are more enterprising--,marylebone1 ,west ,ham1 and ,poplar1 for instance1 and some provincial town companies4 ,the engineers of these supply companies have formed what is known as the ,point ,five ,club1 their object being to supply current for heating and cooking at d4 per unit4 ,still1 when ,marylebone represents the only district in highly rented residential parts of ,london willing to do this1 ,i think ,i am not unjust when ,i say that the electrical companies are sadly behind the times in their methods4 ,it is said that the current used for cooking 7allowing for late dinner7 should be #a unit per day per person1 and that the amount should diminish with the number of persons cooked for1 until1 when cooking for #ajj persons1 the saving would be as much as #ej per cent4 ,this1 naturally1 depends to some extent upon the cook1 who can1 if she will1 waste current and spoil food by cooking it at too high a temperature2 for1 as all cooks know1 after the first ten minutes' cooking in a hot oven the meat should be cooked quite gently4 ,those of my readers who are interested in the question of electrically fitted houses can see the various utensils1 stoves1 etc41 at the showrooms of the makers2 they can attend demonstrations at ,tricity ,house1 #dh1 ,oxford ,street 7the ,electrical ,restaurant72 and also add to their knowledge of the subject by the perusal of ,electric ,cooking1 ,heating1 and ,cleaning1 an excellent book1 published by ,constable and ,co41 price #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,at ,tricity ,house1 a most popular restaurant near the ,tottenham ,court ,road end of ,oxford ,street1 all the cooking is done by electricity1 and a clever lady demonstrator will show the enquirer exactly how the various apparatus is used4 ,labour-,saving and ,comfort-,giving ,appliances4 ,but even when all the cooking is not done by electricity1 the would-be labour-saver may avail himself of a large number of labour-saving inventions and comfort-giving inventions in the shape of chafing dishes1 kettles1 toasters1 and dish-heaters4 ,examples of these are to be found in all electrical showrooms1 and these1 even when cheap current is not available1 may prove a great convenience and indirectly a saving of money4 ,in one house known to me1 where one servant only has been employed since the war1 the owner switches on an electric fire1 and grills the bacon1 and makes toast and coffee in the dining-room1 the table being laid and the materials left ready over night1 thus saving any breakfast cooking and table-laying at the busiest time in the morning4 ,the table is covered with a wrapper1 and the room is swept and dusted later in the day4 ,another useful small appliance is the electric fan4 ,in the sick-room it is invaluable1 also for clearing a room of the smell of smoke1 and being portable it can be carried from room to room and attached to an ordinary wall socket4 ,for large houses there is a great demand for small domestic motors1 and great saving of labour can be effected by using them for driving boot-cleaning machines1 washing-up machines1 and polishing hobs for brass and silver cleaning4 ,before writing these articles ,i visited kitchens where coal1 gas1 or electricity were in use1 and ,i have also cooked on coal ranges and gas and electric cookers4 ,excellent results may be obtained by all three1 but there is no possible doubt that as regards labour and dirt-saving1 gas or electricity is preferable to coal4 ,at the same time1 as one cannot in many cases use either1 it is only fair to say that some of the modern coal ranges do their work admirably1 at the least possible consumption of fuel4 ,as1 however1 a coal range cannot be regarded as a labour-saving apparatus1 ,i do not give any consideration to them in these pages1 which are1 as ,i have already said1 devoted1 not to ideal homes and dream homes1 but to those where the scarcity of labour makes it necessary to save work1 and ultimately cost1 as much as possible4 ,a ,,final ,,word ,just as the book was going to press ,i received this letter-- ,i must tell you how thankful ,i have been for your labour-saving ideas4 ,my cook left to make munitions2 my housemaid's fancy led her to become the driver of a tradesman's cart2 the parlourmaid remained1 and still remains1 bless her6 ,i have had to rely on what temporary help ,i could obtain1 for cooks so far turn a deaf ear to my entreaties4 ,had it not been for our gas fires1 circulator1 and cooker1 our washing-rooms and our lift1 ,heaven knows what would have become of us4 ,as it is we really have managed extraordinarily well4 ,most people's houses are too full of things which no one wants4 ,most people eat too much and serve the food with unnecessary elaboration1 and vast numbers of women spend their lives fussing over trifles and making unnecessary work for vast numbers of other women4 ,will it be different after the war8 ,let us hope so4 ,the greatest ,labour-,saving apparatus we possess is the ,brain2 it has not been worn out by too much use4 ,this statement appears on the first page of this book1 and again on the last4 ,it bears repetition4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xlvi ,,an ,,electric ,,radiator 7,the ,dowsing ,r4 ,h4 ,co47 ,,index ,advantages1 some financial1 #fc ,advice1 useful1 #adi ,appliances1 household1 #di labour-saving1 #ahe-ahf simplicity of labour-saving1 #ahj ,architects1 reasons for women1 #ca ,arrangements1 advantages of labour-saving1 #gj ,basement1 general description of1 #fe house1 disadvantages of1 #ed-ee ,bath1 #de ,bedroom1 #de ,bills1 gas1 coke1 coal1 #adf ,coke1 economy of1 #add ,colleges1 need of training1 #bj ,companies1 ,electrical ,supply1 #ahc ,cook1 wages of1 #abj ,cookers1 gas1 #hc good idea for gas1 #aed ,cooker1 size of1 #aee ,cooking1 advantages of advanced1 #abg economy of electrical1 #ahb ,cost1 counting the1 #ada1 #ade ,current1 electric1 cost of1 #ahb how to avoid waste of1 #age ,decoration1 #dd ,dinner bogey1 how to abolish the1 #acc ,domestic premises1 #da1 #dc ,domestic problem1 solving of1 #be ,domestic service1 advantages and disadvantages of1 #ai ,domestic training1 advantages of1 #ac-ad for all girls1 #aa national importance of1 #ab ,dressing-room1 clever idea for1 #de ,electric house1 description of1 #agh ,electric light1 fitting and arranging of1 #agd ,electricity1 economy of1 #aga cooking by1 #acd ,employer1 ignorance of1 #h ,entertaining1 #acg ,equipment1 personal1 #ach ,family arrangements1 #ic ,fare1 planning of bills of1 #aei ,fires1 advantage of electric1 #aec various makes of electric1 #agh ,flat1 description of1 #gg-gh general arrangement of1 #ajj labour-saving1 #ii ,fuel1 economy of1 #adg ,furnace1 feeding of1 #id lighting of1 #adc ,furniture1 #dd ,gas1 cost of cooking by1 #afj use of1 #adh ,geysers1 #aea ,governesses1 secretaries1 companions1 #ah ,grill1 management of1 #afb ,heating1 water1 #aej ,home1 the ideal1 #cg ,house1 labour-saving1 #ff condition of the modern1 #ec country1 #ie-ig furnishing of1 #fi heating and lighting of1 #df how to reduce work of1 #cf inconvenience of the modern1 #bi suggestions for rebuilding1 #cj ,houses1 labour-saving method of heating1 #adb ,kitchen1 electrically fitted1 #agi warming of1 #afe ,labour-making house1 condition of1 #gf conversion of1 #eg description of1 #ef some experiences of1 #ge work of1 #gc-gd ,labour-saving house1 arrangement of1 #hi-ia convenience of1 #aaj description of1 #hh domestic arrangements of1 #gi-hj economy of1 #aae ,london1 #hg menu of1 #aac provincial1 #ajh reasons for1 #c-d suggestion for1 #fd the ideal1 #ce ,labour-saving ideas1 test of1 #ajg ,lamp1 makes of1 #agf-agg ,lights1 rate of basement1 #agb checking of waste of1 #agc ,lighting1 various means of1 #aeb ,look-ahead plan1 advantage of1 #acj ,meals1 arrangement of1 #aad ,meat1 saving of1 #aha ,menu1 #aba-abd ,meters1 slot1 #aff-afi ,mistresses1 new race wanted1 #aj ,nurse and ,nursery1 #fb ,ordering1 method of1 #abe ,oven1 temperature of1 #afa ,restaurant1 the electrical1 #ahd ,rooms1 arrangement of1 #aji ,rubbish1 destruction of1 #afe ,servants1 #i shortage of1 #g their dislikes1 #ba-bb ,service1 cost of1 #ada ,service room1 #db ,shopping1 #abf ,soups1 #abh ,stove1 cleaning of1 #afd ,suburban house1 description of1 #aja furniture and fittings of1 #ajb-ajc ,sweets1 #abi ,table1 useful advice for1 #di ,time1 division of1 #aad saving of1 #aai ,utensils1 cleaning1 #ace gas-cooking1 #afc ,waste1 checking of1 #agc ,water service1 #cb ,water system1 question of hot1 #eh ,work1 dislike of menial1 #ag organization of1 #ib-ic ,worker1 how to obtain best results1 #bf ,,the ,,question ,,of ,,the ,,moment ,,war ,,ration ,,cookery 7,,the ,,eat-,,less-,,meat ,,book7 ,,by ,,mrs4 ,c4 ,s4 ,,peel ,the ,director of ,women's ,service1 ,ministry of ,food4 7,second ,edition47 ,crown #hvo4 #b_/f net4 ,mrs4 ,peel is universally recognized as the soundest and most sensible authority upon middle-class housekeeping2 she knows her subject inside out1 she has no fads1 and she writes with great vivacity and verve4 ,she is just the person whose advice the small householder needs at the present time1 and this practical and business-like handbook is nothing less than a public service of the highest quality4 ,it ought to be on every kitchen shelf throughout the length and breadth of the country4444 ,indeed1 the whole volume is invaluable1 and we commend it without reserve to every class of the loyal-hearted public4--,daily ,telegraph4 ,mrs4 ,peel's book is eminently practical4 ,it puts in an intelligible way the problem of war-ration housekeeping4--,land and ,water4 ,the book gives excellent hints as to the cooking of our war-time rations4 ,in addition to a quantity of recipes1 ,mrs4 ,peel has advice to give on food values4--,spectator4 ,,john ,,lane1 ,,the ,,bodley ,,head1 ,w4 #a4 ,,novels ,,by ,,mrs4 ,c4 ,s4 ,,peel ,,the ,,hat ,,shop ,crown #hvo4 #f_/- and #a_/c net4 ,mrs4 ,peel is to be sincerely congratulated on her vivid picture of one side of the world of fashion and of the cost to those who serve it4--,pall ,mall ,gazette4 ,the book is interesting and written with first-hand knowledge4--,morning ,post4 ,the bright and the shady side of feminine life in ,london are both exhibited in ',the ,hat ,shop4' ,mrs4 ,peel's pages are closely observed and convincingly drawn4--,sunday ,times4 ,mrs4 ,,barnet--,robes ,crown #hvo4 #f_/- ,with insight and tenderness and courage1 ,mrs4 ,peel has written one of the most charming and at the same time most living of stories4 ,it is stamped with truth and is very beautifully told4--,outlook4 ,mrs4 ,peel has handled a prolific theme in a masterly manner4--,globe4 ,a ,mrs4 ,,jones ,crown #hvo4 #f_/- ,this intensely clever and human-hearted story4444 ,fresh1 genuine1 so impeccably true to nature4 ,a very fine novel indeed4--,mr4 ,arthur ,waugh in the ',outlook4' ,the description of a fashion paper's office and its ,jewish administration is vivid1 real and humorous4 ,the book goes merrily forward1 the interest of the reader sustained to the finish4--,daily ,telegraph4 ,,john ,,lane1 ,,the ,,bodley ,,head1 ,w4 #a4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes ,original inconsistencies in chapter titles between the ,table of ,contents and the first pages of each chapter have been retained4 ,likewise1 the titles on the ,list of ,illustrations and the illustrations themselves appear here just as they did in the original text1 including ,plate #dd's labeling of ,gas ,oven in the ,,loi and as ,electric ,oven in its caption4 ,minor punctuation errors fixed on pages #de and #afb4 ,punctuation on ,plates #d1 #e1 #f1 #af1 #bj1 #bb1 #cd1 #ci1 #dj1 #da1 #db1 #db;a1 #dd was made consistent with the other ,plates4 ,variable use of the words fire-place1 fireplace1 ,croutons1 and ,crotons were retained4 ,other variations in hyphenated words were retained only when they seemed to be used for emphasis or when part of a quoted letter4 ,the following changes were made for consistency or due to typographical error3 ,page #ca1 house-work changed to housework4 7444neither do they have to do housework4447 ,page #gi1 talboys changed to tallboys4 7444tallboys in a shocking state of ill-usage47 ,page #aba1 fourquarter changed to forequarter4 7444a forequarter of lamb has been in the house4447 ,page #acd1 ,house-,work changed to ,housework4 7,a ,letter from a ,professional ,woman who does her own ,housework47 ,plate #ae1 ,,wash-,,stand changed to ,,washstand4 7,,gas-,,heated ,,towel ,,rail ,,and ,,fixed ,,washstand7 ,plate #cb1 ,,electrc changed to ,,electric4 7,,an ,,electric ,,kitchen ,,in ,a ,,city ,,institution47