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The Housewives' League
An Organization That Has Performed
Wonders in the Way of Reducing
Exhorbitant Prices of Necessaries of
Life.
The Housewives' League of Baton
Rouge, was organized December 9,
1916, Mrs. Mloise being the first presi
dent. The object of the League is to
"investigate and devise means to im
prove living conditions, and to reduce
the high cost of living." Our first
work was to encourage and educate all
housewives to insist on correct weights
and measures; to personally superin
tend the marketing and not depend on
servants or the 'phone.
The thing that first brought us to
public notice was our fight with the
Gas Company. After a sweeping in
vestigation of conditions, conducted
by members of our League, and tests
made by the head of our Chemistry
Department and his assistants at the
L. S. U., we found the gas being fur
nished in no way met the require
ments of the standard heat unit. We
found also that the company was filing
reports at the Bureau of Standards,
at Washington, without the use of a
calerimeter. We immediately secured
the signatures of more than seven
hundred consumers of gas in Baton
Rouge, protesting to Stone & Webster
against the poor pressure of gas, poor
heating power and inadequate service.
We won our fight May 1, 1917. The
company agreed to enlarge their plant,
improve the mains and improve the
quality of the gas, bringing it up to
the proper heat unit. We also suc
ceeded in getting a 10 % reduction
in price from $1.50 to $1.40, with a
sliding scale after the first 2000 feet 1
used thus benefiting the housewives 1
rather than the large consumer. i
Our next important work was the
establishment of a curb market,
which was started in the early spring I
of 1917. It ,wak a huge success and
was kept up until the war took nearly
all of our truckers away. In July 1
and August 1917, we canned all the
surplus vegetables left after the curb
market hours, for the truckers who
desired us to do so. The work was
done on a small hot water canner in
the back yard of one of our members.(
We canned nearly five hundred cans
of vegtables that would have been
wasted except for our efforts. We
furnished all material except vege
tables; d(lid all the work and the truck-'
ers received half of the canned pro
ducts. After selling enough to re-im
burse the League for cans, etc., two,
hundred and fifty one cans of vege
tables, such as corn, butter, bean.s, egg i
plant, tomatoes and okra were given I
to the Organized Charities.
Our most important work in 1919
was the selling of five carlods of gov
ernment food and clothing from the
U. S. Army store in New Orleans. In 1
handling these supplies we assumed
the responsibility of more than $30,
000 worth of goods. The handling of
these goods was a tremendous under
taking, but was successfully carried
through by the faithful work of our 1
members. We felt we had reached the
peak of salesmanship" when we sold t
three hundred woolen blankents in less
than two hours with the thermometer
registering about 94 in the shade. On }
part of the food we handled the gov
ernmant allowed a small percentage
for handling. By doing the work our
selves, hiring only the heavy part done
we were able to secure a neat sum for
our treasury.
Around the beginning of 1920, the t
League realized the need of an up- c
to-date hospital for Baton Rouge. c
We agitated the mutter and succeeded a
in interesting many of our business j
men and substantial citizens in the n
movement. As there was an organiza- o
tion in the city who claimed this work, p
it was turned over to them, and from fi
all indications, Baton Rouge will w
eventually have an up-to-date hos- ti
pital.
Our League was instrumental in se- fi
curing a Fair Price Commission for F
Baton Rouge.
About the middle of October 1920,
marked the arrival of the new street
cars that had been ordered by the Bat
on Rouge Gas and Electric Co. The
city officials, a committee from the
Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs, the Cham
ber of Commerce and the entire mem
bership of the Housewives' League
Swere invited to ride in the new cars
!on their initial trip over the city on
Sa tour in inspection. After inspect
_ ing the gas plant with its new mod
ern equipment, and the power plant of
Swhich we were justly proud, we were
taken to the Istrouma Hotel for
1 lunch. Naturally the League members I
were pleased with this attention, and
when Mr. Small, in a neat little speech i
called attention to the fact that no
other organization of women in Baton
jRouge had been recognized in quite
the same way, we were naturally sat
isfied with ourselves. It would be
ihard to exactly describe our feelings
when the next day's paper carried the
Sannouncement of a proposed increase
in the gas rates to take effect im- 1
mediately. The following day the pa
I pners announced a called meeting of
the League to consider this increase. 1
It was the third raise in as many 1
years, they having raised the rate I
since our controversy, from $1.40 to
$1.85, but that was during the pres- 1
sure of the war. The company's last ]
increase was a flat fifty cents bring- (
ing the price of cooking gas up to
$2.35 per thousand feet. A commit
tee from the League went before the
Fair Price Commission and filed a
complaint against this proposed in
crease. As a result of this complaint,
an operative from the Department of
Justice, and a Public Accountant
made a thorough audit of the books
of the Gas Co. The investigation
proved that while there was no pro
fiteering, the plant was obsolete and
was without sufficient storage facili
ties.
After receiving numerous appeals
from the farmers and heads of the
Farm Bureau and Parish Demonstra
tion Agents, the Housewives' League
established a semi-weekly market at
the city market, and during the whole
winter, while prices were high and
buying poor, much produce was hand
led, thus helping the farmer and con
sumer, eliminating the middleman's I
profit. The vegeable section of this
market is still running. While buy
ing is not as brisk, it is still a medium
for the small producer.
When the price of flour and other
in.redients which go into the mak
ing of bread was reduced, we felt we
were entitled to a cheaper loaf of
bread. A committee appointed to look
into this, arranged a conference with
all the bakers of Baton Rouge. The
result being a standard sized loaf of
bread ,wrapped in paper, containing
weight of loaf and name and address
ý, baker at a cheaper price.
During the session of the Constitu
tional Convention, indisputable evi
dence was produced proving the need
for declaring ice a public utility.
While this result was not accomplish
ed, it was made constitutional for ice
to be manufactured by a municipali
ty.
A committee of the League appeared
before the Police Jury in March to
petition that body to enforce act No.
87 of 1920, providing for an Inspector
of Weights and Measures. This com
mittee was very kindly received by the
Police Jury, who in turn appointed a
committee from that body to obtain
an opinion from the District Attorney
and assist in putting this law into ef
fect. Both of these committess are
still at work. i
Early in the spring a drive for funds
to carry on the third annual fight I
against the mosquito was brought to I
our attention. Letters sent by the
League to the various organizations
in Baton Rouge, resulted in a mos- I
quito campaign committee being
formed, and the necessary funds for
this work was raised and the work is
now well under way.
For some time past several of the
Baton Rouge Clubs have realized the
necessity for a club house which could
he used as a civic center. While the
Community Club was under construc
tion, the Housewives' League had a
committee go before the management
of the Community Club to ascertain if
it could be arranged to have an extra
room built in the Community Club I
House, which could be used for thisp
purpose, hut as all plans had been
drawn, this was not deemed advisable
by the management of the Community1
Club. The League then set aside a
certain portion of their treasury and
appointed a permanent committee to
work on this need. After the organ
ization of the City Association of
Clubs, this matter was brought up be
fore the Association, and as the com
mittee from the Housewives' League
had found a building an the corner
of East Boulevard and Louisiana Ave
nue which would answer the purpose,
the report from the League was ac
cepted by the City Association of
Clubs, and it was voted to buy this
building. The Housewives' League
putting up $200.00 to obtain an option
on the building with the understand
ing that the $200.00 was to apply on
the purchase price and the League to
be given credit for twenty shares of
stock at $10.00 per share. This build
ing was eventually purchased by the
City Association and is now in use.
During the life of the League, the
following contributions have been
made to worthy causes:
Mosquito campaign .............$50.00
Rest Rooms ........................ 50.00
The Gettlieb Home ........... 50.00
Armenian Relief Fund ...... 25.00
Public Library ................... 6.00
Eastern Relief Fund ......... 10.00
State Federation Scholar
ship Fund ................ ..10.00
Library Commission ......... 10.00
In addition to the above, the League
has sent delegates to all conventions,
paying all expenses.
The following ladies have been
president of the League in the or
der named: Mrs. Moise, Mrs. Edger
ton, Mrs. Tucker, Mrs. Burris, Mrs.
Tucker, and Mrs. Sessions, the pres
ent incumbent.
The next issue of the Woman's En
terprise will contain a history of the
Churches of Baton Rouge and im
portant organizations which have not
been published in this number. Thru
lack of space many interesting arti
cles have been omitted but will cer
tainly appear in the August edition.
Help the Association of Clubs by
buying copies of the Woman's Enter
sprise.
"_ ..
Lieln r "dition;
14any of the older people who have always clung to the
homejmade breads, and have steadily refused to acknowlj
edge the possibility of equal goodness in other kinds have
been converted to
SUPERIOR BREAD
There ise a sense of exhlaration in letting the baking bu"
dens slip from the shoulders without any sacrifice of qlual
ity or goodness.
Everybody likes it, and it saves a lot of table expense wFhen
compared to the higher priced foods of less food value.
Golden Rule Bakery
843 GAernment St. Phone 334
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Man of th4le epewohv lascugt h _
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edge th.osblt4feulgodesi te id ae
bee covete to"_
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All Success to
Woman's Enterprise
SPublished by the progressive women of our communi
ty, with whom rest the balance of power which is to deter
mine whether our policies as a city shall rest upon TRUTH
and JUSTICE AND EQUITY.
May their courage never falter and their power never
diminish.
Babin & Brown
REALTORS
THE UNIVERSAL CAR.
Roadster One-Ton Truck Touwing Car
Coupe Sedan Chassis
DELIVER THE FORD WAY
Fordson Tractor and Tractor Impleients
Commercial Bodies
Service That.Serves
We Only Repair Ford Cars-Genuine Ford Parts
COME IN. LET'S OET ACQUAINTED
BatonRouge Motor Co.
nzoorpovated
R. E. STEARNS, Manager 233 CONVENTION, BT.
Ford luildig flatea Roole, La. Fhohe 802
