164 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



"The greatest need in the home to-day, is an understanding of, and a 

 co-operation in, the relations that should exist between men and women 

 in creating a home." 



Let us name a few of these relations and the position they occupy in 

 the home and its proper administration : 



First, Every home is a business proposition, usually founded upon 

 the earning capacitj' of one and the administrative ability of the other 

 of that earning power, that the physical, moral and spiritual needs of 

 the inmates of said home mav be realized. Both forming this business 

 partnership should be fully qualified to meet the demands made upon 

 them without any let or hindrance. Remember, that money well 

 spent is well earned, and any woman who spends well the money of her 

 husband has helped to earn it and no restrictions or qualifications 

 should be placed upon that fact. 



I am fully persuaded, that four-fifths of the misunderstandings that 

 arise between husband and wife in the home have their beginnings from 

 a moneyed standpoint. Neither had the correct view of the relation 

 that should exist between them on the money question when they enter- 

 ed this partnership. 



I have noticed in my magazine reading of late how much this sub- 

 ject is written upon and discussed which means well for the future. 



Perhaps all of you before me have this matter properly adjusted in 

 your homes and what I am saying has no meaning for you. 



Michigan may be ahead of Illinois in that respect. I, certainly was 

 awakened to the fact that all of the homes of Illinois were not properly 

 financed, when a few weeks ago I attended a Farmer's Institute in my 

 own county, and quite unexpectedly, this finance question forced itself 

 upon the meeting. 



During the course of some remarks I was making, a woman asked : 

 ''Do you believe in and use the bread mixer." I said : "Most emphatic- 

 ally I can answer both questions in the affirmative." As our farmer's 

 institutes in Illinois are planned for educational purposes, I imme- 

 diately assumed the teachers perogative to ask questions and said : 

 "How many here are using a bread mixer?" and only three hands went 

 up. Then I said: "How many are using a mop wringer?" and only 

 one hand went up. I expressed my astonishment by saying: "How does 

 this happen when you are living right under the shadow of our great 

 University ?" 



This meeting was being held in a country community about 12 miles 

 from Champaign where a church and town hall stood side by side — 

 the women holding their meeting in the church and the men in the hall. 

 There were between GO or 70 women in the room. 



Soon one woman had the courage to sa}^: "Mrs. Dunlap, the women 

 don't carry the pocket books." Then I said: "Is it possible we still 

 have women in Champaign county who have not attained to their finan- 

 cial freedom and are working for their board and clothes." They look- 

 ed somewhat shocked at my blunt statement of the case but the heads 

 kept assenting to the fact all over the room. 



No home has the proper financial relations existing, when women are 

 not real financial partners with their husbands, when they must ask 



