DOMESTIC ECONOMY FOR THE WORKING CLASSES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 734, 12 May 1876, Page 3

DOMESTIC ECONOMY FOR THE WORKING CLASSES.

(From Capital and Labor.)

Go into a workman’s cottage in France or Belgium, and you will be pretty sure to find it clean and tidy. If the husband comes home to dinner his wife provides him with a far daintier dinner than that which an English working man can hope to get, though it has cost him more than twice as much. The French housewife knows how to buy cheaply, and how to cpok cheaply.; if she prudently abstains from purchasing the costliest articles of food, she dresses up those that she does procure, in ways that make them more palatable and more nourishing than the costliest articles when badly cooked can be, Long before her husband returns from the day’s work the room is ready for him, and it is his own fault if he does not find there more real enjoyment than he can get at the cabaret, though even the cabaret is generally a much wholesomer place than the English public house, and offers few temptations to waste and drunkenness. No one could expect, and few would wish that the foreign arrangements should be exactly reproduced in England. But everyone must desire that there should be an immense improvement on things as they are, and every morsel of help that can be given in this direction is a national benefit. How much help may be given in one very important branch of economy is to some extent shown by the success that has already attended the efforts of the National Training School for Cookery at South Kensington. This institution is, we believe, altogether in private hands, though under Government patronage. In it women of all grades are carefully trained in the whole science and art of cooking—in fuel economy as well as in the production of all sorts of wholesome and dainty dishes, and especially in the best ways of putting to good use low-priced articles of consumption. The majority of the pupils, those who desire to make this their business, are taught how to communicate their knowledge to others. Thus a useful body of teachers is being trained for service in any part of the country, and intelligent persons are beginning to feel the benefit of employing them. Tho shrewd rector of one of the poorest districts in London, for instance, has established a cooking class in the national school which is under his supervision. Every Saturday two of the ladies from South Kensington come down to the school for four or five luurs. The eighteen or twenty elder girls who are admitted to the class ax-e told off into companies, so that each may learn something new every week. Four or five go out marketing with the teacher, and bring back a stock of meat, eggs, vegetables, and other necessaries, at which they and the other girls, who have in the meanwhile been getting ready the kitchen and its appliances set to work. One company prepares the stews and hashes another makes the puddings, another cooks the vegetables, and so on, and at last all sit down to a dinner which costs only 3d or 4d per head, though it is far better both in quality and quantity than a meal can be bought elsewhere for a shilling. We are assured by tho clergyman who is most concerned in this class that, though

the experiment has not yet been carried on for a year, it has already turned out several efficient young cooks who are able to add very materially to their parents’ afid brother's’ comfort, and when they marry are likely to be treasures of wives to their husbands. .We have referred to this particular school because it has come under our own observation. We believe that a similar course is being pursued with as good results in many other parts, and it seems clear that nothing but very bad management can prevent this work from being successful, wherever it be honestly attempted. We advise those of our readers whose hearts are especially inclined to benevolence at this Christmas time to consider whether they can find any other vent for their philanthropy so useful as participation in this work.