“ A NEW KIND OF WARMTH.”

Hokitika Guardian, 24 May 1923, Page 1

“ A NEW KIND OF WARMTH.”

fho most difficult and necessary lesson that a. young housewife has to learn is that of true economy in household management. To “go without”" certain comforts and luxuries is not economy; economy is a science—the science of spending money carefully and advantageously. It is this applied science of spending money carefully which is. neglected so frequently, though it often happens- that thoughtful investigation will discover a possible alternative—and a more comfortable alternative to that of “going without.” For instance, the arrangements commonly made for warming the house in the autumn and the winter are well worth considering from . a new stand-

point. Fires in the kitchen and living room are a necessity—fires in the draw ing-room and the bedrooms a luxury-

that is the “going without” point of view.

Now, every one knows that, even i, winter, and certainly in autumn, th temp ratine varies daily, almost hour ly. Coal fires are us less to combat suel conditions; they are extravagant

troublesome, and unreliable—totally umulapted to meet the requirement! of a changeable climate. It is the waste heat that is the extravagance—the lire that must he “kept alight” all day to avoid relaying; that is blazing away when little or none is necessary, owing to the practice of “keeping up” the tire in order to ensure warmth for the chilly hours of the day. AA’ere it possible to regulate that heat easily to the requirements of the moment, “to turn the lire up or down” as it were, the- surplus fuel that is wasted by the old method would he available to warm the bedrooms and the nursery, the drawing-room and the billiard-room, without greater expense than is entailed in the. upkeep of Lwo good fires all day long. The modern lire—the gas fire—on the other hand, yields pure, clean heat that ran I r regulated and controlled at will. If the day, opening chilly, ulf.i mutely Inc,urn s warm, a turn of the

Lap. regulates the heat instantly to the altered conditions, and expense is thereby minimised. S\ lien you leave our room for another, you turn out the gas lire in one room and light it in the other. That is economy—gas fire economy. But a. little consideration shows that there is still further economy t i lr obtained by using pas tires. Oal fires entail labour—the hateful tasks of cL lining grates, carrying coals, replanidling anil carrying of sentries, keep ing up fires or relighting them whan they go out, and parh-ps most cestruc live of all as regards labour, temper, aml damage to furniture, they eiitaP periodical days dedicated Li soot nun the sweep. If your maids were spared these labours how much more time they would have for other duties! How much easier their life Mould lie! Gas lires dispense with till this, just a; they dispense with the necessity «>! purchasing scuttles, shovels, lire-irons ash-boxes, cinder-sifters, and the like cumbrous and costly utensils. Is not. nil this also economy—economy of energy and health as weil as monev . J Once gn.*s Itrcs are installed there is comfort in every room in Hie house. In bedrooms and nursery there is warmth at a few moment's notice—for the half hour while dressing or undressing, or foi the baby’s hath hour. For the unexpected guest, be she never so unexpected. there is speedily a cheering fire in the drawing-room; the sit k-reom lire burns unattended, silently, and salelythe invalid sleeping meanwhile, undisturbed l:y the noise of replenishing the lire or tile crash of falling embers. That is comfort— gas tire comfort..