THE SERVANT QUESTION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 210, 4 September 1900, Page 2

THE SERVANT QUESTION.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—Having read the statements made by •'Weary" and '-Slavey," 1 heartily sympathise with r.lieni. 1 have been at service in Taurauga for some time, and know ot some queer mistresses there. The meanness unii petty tyranny of some is almost incredible. One lady in whose service i spent a miserable six months was in, the uahit of giving me two inches of caudle and seven matches to last a week, ami if the candle burnt, away before the week expired 1 was supposed to go to bed in tlie dark. Again, at dinner time callers would frequently drop In, and would be asked to stay to dinner, ■}wth the result that wuun the* dish came out to the kitchen it was empty. Then mistress would say: "J am sorry, Mary Jane, but I flirt not expect Mrs Jaiutart and Mr<s Scandal 1 to come to-day, and I was quite unprepared; but you can have a cup of tea;" and Mary Jane wus supposed to look pleasant. Most mistresses regard us as machines to bo bought for a few shillings a week and to be wound up to spring up at half-past five in the morning ami keep on our feet till nine or later at night. I knew one poor girl while, in Tauranga who was always ariaicHsed by her surname, and sho felt it keenly. Another was threatened with ii flogging by her mistress, \v!io evidently forgot, thai; she was no longer in South Africa. To crown all, I have often hoard my rnlsti't's.s diaiMisK her "slavey" with hoi- vi.sil.nrs, u'liilc tUt-y in turn would unfold all the ini<|uit!es of their own "slaveys." It iw hard indeed to leave home and go out Hiid iie thought loss of than a dog, and still harrier to lip railed names that oven the iifgrcms in America were freed from 10fr- yv'ar.s ago. But down at Tauranga they s^c so little and know mo little that nn hour's slavey talk and another of your baby and wonderful (?) children comprises the afternoon ton conversation. I am, etc., MARY .TANK.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —I have read with considerable interest the various letters which have been published on the "Domestic Servant Question" —a question which lias agitated the whole of tho British dominion, and which has exercised the minds of many capable men and women; a social question which is closely connected with many domestic circles, and which has the power of spreading misery or happiness amongst a great number. I do not wish to add to those who discuss the faults or failings of either side. We are all human, and many cannot sec the faults and failings with which they are themselves imbued. Far rather would I try to palliate the evil—to seek a remedy. It seem;- that some recognised system of working is lacking; there seems to bo no tacit understanding- between mistress and maid. Almost every other class of workers, either manual or mental, have a recognised basis upon which they work. The factories stand by certain Acts of Parliament, and they have their regular inspectors, whose fluty it Is to see that these rules of health and equity are not infringed. The schools have their inspectors, whose business it is to criticise the tleachers and supervise the children's education. The farmers are ruled by the Stock Inspeqtor, various departments of Civil- Service by the Audit Inspectors, and even the common householder is under the supervision of ■ the Inspector of Nuisances; so that one Inspector, more or less, would or could make little difference to the many already existing trammels of civilised society. Any class or section of a community who exist without organisation, classification and uniformity of action must be for ever struggling In chaos and disorder. Every section which I have named, even to the Civil servants, have their recognised associations and printed gazettes. Indeed, the higher you look Into society the more perfect An you find th.Mr organisations. There should be a Federated Domestic Servants Union, branche. tn every town and country, on slmhar Uto the Farmers' Union or any other male association that needs support and co-operation. And when election time arrives they should make it a . plank m tholr would - be candidate s "Platform that tho domestic servants' many grievances be mitigated by Act, of ParlteMPt If they were firm and unanimous in the r voting, the bids would run high In their ' favour. A question which strikes at the i home life of so many unhappy and unfortunate women needs the support and ,Snd consideration of our honourable : members us much as the drink Question, or the worthy old age pensions scheme. Even now, during the next session, if they would only define how best they could have matters adjusted, they might lay before Parliament a petition which would gain a public hearing. Do they quite forget their influence as enfranchised women, or is it only that they cannot realise their power and how much tho remedy lies in their own hands, both individually and collectively? I am not seeking to address a handful of viragoes or dissolute women, but domestic servants as a large, respectable, reasonable, and representative body. Say it cost them U Per annum each to support their association, would not tho benefits which would accrue from it be worthy of the outlay? Say it cost them in taxes 2/C> extra to support an Inspector, even then justice and happiness would bo cheaply bought at 7/6 per year. Many a girl spends more In buying a new summer hat! Many will be eager to ask: "Whatjgood could an inspector do?" Well, ho could mako it worth every girl's while to do her best; he could raise tho standard of her work,., the same as he has raised the standard of her education. Why la it that so many girls and women, too, are literally ashamed to publish tho fact that they are domestic servants? Why does every self-respecting girl or woman seek to hide the fact, even from herself, as strenuously as she- would seek to hide the most shameful crime? It is because Bho feels that socially she is. going down the hill. Why do so many mistresses treat the nicest and most modest girls with the same air of signal contempt that they would treat the vilest? Because there is an indefinable ban upon domestic service which must be removed.

Why should women say to one another: "Oh, you know, she's been in service," as though that clinched the matter, and there was nothing left to say. The good old-fashioned Scotch independence which prompts a woman or girl to accept with humility of spirit the lowliest work rather than be beholden.to mistress or friend for a crust is little understood. The prevailing idea seems to be that a woman or girl who embraces domestic service must either be bad, unprotected, or a fool, and therefore merits the bitterest scorn and most dire contempt. The rising generation should bo made to feel it worth their while to be clean, methodical, and good housekeepers. And would It not be better for such girls if they were personally known to their inspectors? could he not, travelling from house to house, often be the means of their advancement and well-being?. Domestic service fakes in a very wide grade of womanhood, and as things now stand there Is no distinction made between one grade and the other. The two extremes often meet and are placed together indiscriminately by Inexperienced mistresses to eat, drink, and perhaps share t"he same bed or bedroom, to the utter shame and confusion of the better girl. The food and bedding provided, the hours of work, description of work, and amount of salary, should all come under an inspector's supervision. '

Laws might be passed by Act of Parliament with regard to forming a scale of wages; the scale of wage to rise according to the number of Inmates the' girl or woman attends upon. Also, the work might be classified, as housemaid's work, cook's work, nurse's work, etc., etc. Printed rules, formed upon an equitable ba-sis, giving hours of work, description of work, and amount of salary, should be hung in every servant's quarter, and perhaps the briefest mode of inspection would be. to ask: "Are those rules complied with?" I think it would be for the well-being of both mistress and maid to co-operate in this matter. The mistress would be in a position to procure a more efficient maid, she would not. be

continually buying a "pig in a poke' ; and the maid could read the rules and know- what was expected of her, both by^h'er mistress and her country. May. "some more capable brain than mine 'be able to carry out these ideas to a practical issue.—l am, etc., REFORM.

(To the Editor.)

Sir.-Verily I am almost persuaded to sign my name and divulge my address, as one of your correspondents suggests, so that 1 may receive the gifts and tributes many kind people seem so ready to shower upoii me. One young lady generously offers me a dictionary, hut if it is onn giving no other meaning for tbc word "wench than that of a person of a very undesirable class, it is indeed a very improper dictionary, and I should wish to lm saved from having to conduct my correspondence ny_it. it is only this fear of receiving a bad dictionary that makes me hesitate to blazon my name in public print, for I fully recognise my need of a Bible. To ascribe to the lattei the teaching that cleanliness is next to Godliness is a lapse that the young person who rusticates in the sylvan retreat of Walhl can, I fear,'never psilliate, let alone forgive. And I regret that it is no sycophancy, like the terrible charge levelled at my head by the party who confines her research to ' a wretchedly pour dictionary. However, to be serious, if people will permit it by not being too egregiously silly, I entirely fail to see what all the row is about. Wc'are al! at one in acknowledging the extremely unsatisfactory relations or mistresses and maids, collectively; and I simply point out what I believe is a mam contributing clniißp, namely, false independence run riot. Any self-respecting and decent mistress does not want servility, hut civility i.s due her. It is a debt that goes very often unpaid. What is primarily needed Ik that girls should have that respect for themselves' that hns its origin In a respect for their calling. This in a vast majority of enses they have riot got. How far tho trouble is due to the mistresses and In what measure to tho girls themselves I should not rare to say. The letters of somfi of tho girls show thnt in many households what I consider a really shocking state of tilings exists. I would not. for a moment pottilßP.l a girl to remain in a place where nil tho eatables were placed under lock and key. Such a procedure must be destructive alike tn tho girl's SP'f-rpspect and her respect for her mistress, and is highly reprehensible. In a great many cases the trouble poems to havf its nrlaln in the variety of flip general domestic';* 'ork. "Where only one girl is employed, outside the kitchen, her only work should. I think, be tho scrubbing and window-cleaning. I should class ns belonging to the general's department the paj-ts of tho cooking not personnll.v superintended by the mistress, the dish-washing, storp-oloaning, possibly bootclonnin.tr. tho wnsh where it is not sufficiently largo to warrant the special engagement of fl woman for It. and, in nny case, parts of tho ironing. A girl should always have her work finished by about 7 p.m..and have tho rest of the evening to horsolf. A half-Holiday once a fortnight and alternate Sundar afternoons should be a sufficient allowance. Tho length of this will, I fear, make it necessary for mo to leave my further views over till some other occasion; for. dear Mr Editor, though a novice, I know that a certain respect for brevity is desirable—Yours, etc., MISTRESS.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—l am sure no sensible girl could be offended at "ZamielV "Mary Jane." Tt was a bit humorous, and I, for one, enjoyed it Immensely. Now, it is very wrong to dub all mistresses as unkind. The human race is not so constituted. We have good and bad on both sides of tho question. T am at present working with two girls in tfte Jiome of a lady and gentleman who can well be class-ed tip-top as regards their position and the manner they treat their domestics. My Lady expects tho work carried out in a proper manner, or you go. All the same, master and mistress don't forget to give a kind word of commendation when occasion calls for it. I have dropped into a good place and appreciate it. Tn the past, if I found I was not suited, I quietly gave a week's notice. In one place three days was as much as I could stand, on account of tho behaviour of the children, so I departed the third day, minus my pay; better that than put up with miserable surroundings. A lesson for mistress and servant is to try the" rule of: "As ye would others do to you. do ye 50.".—1 am etc., ■ '.."... OLIVE MERSON.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—lt is indeed time that the servants of Auckland began to assert their independence in this matter. How many times docs one hear it quoted that "Britons never, never will be slaves?'1 We are Britons, and yet it would bo hard to find a greater slave than the general servant of to-day. Truly we are "generals," for, though we are only ignorant country "wenches," yet we are expected to know how to wash well, iron well, j rook, scrub, wait on table, answer door-1 bells, take in afternoon teas—in short, j everything. Can "Mistress" tell me why, if we are so ignorant, we are expected to know, without being told, that it is very rude and improper to whistle or sing while doing our work, that one should always have clean hands and an apron on while making beds or waiting at table, that it is vulgar to stand at the back door talking to tradespeople, and that it is the height of bad manners to know how to do anything better than our mistresses? There always has been, and there always will be, two distinct classes of people in this world—the worker, and his master; one is just as necessary and essential as the other, but let each one keep his place. We are the servants, and are quite content with our lot when we are treated properly. For my own part, I do not see why there should be any obligation on either side, for I think we give." a very fair equivalent of work for their money. Supposing, "Mistress," you get a woman in to do a day's washing, you have to glvo her 4/ or 5/; have her in again to do a day's cleaning, she gets another 4/; then the Chinaman has to do up the shirts and collars; for shirts and collars you give him 2/; and yet ladies (?) expect to get a girl who will do all that and the entire work of a 9 or 10-roomed house 7 days a week for the very large sum of 10/. And then we must be content with one evening a week from 7 till 10 (three whole hours), and every second Sunday afternoon. Ladies and mistresses, let me ask you, as one woman to another, to put yourselves in our placp-s, and se" '"w you would like it. Like it, forsooth! You , would be the first to cry shame. For ray part, I wilt never go out as general servant again, and I ask women and mothers of Auckland to help us assert the right of every Briton that "we never, never will be slaves."—Tarn, etc., ONE WHO HAS STRUCK. §

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—Permit me to say a few words with reference to the above question. I think it is high time the servant question was freely discussed for the sake of all domestics. Now, during-'the month of November of last year, I came in contact with a person requiring1 a nursemaid. I secured the situation, never for one moment anticipating that my very considerate mistress expected me to walk the floor with a crying- crippled infant all night, to say nothing of having it all day. It seems, when the child cried it disturbed pater and mater. Of course It was q-ulte natural from their point of view that I did not require rest. I was, as it were, a working machine. Just fancy a girl aged seventeen having the entire charge of two babies all day, and then to be debarred of her night's rest. However, things went on very well for the first two night's, from mistress' point of view. As you will readily imagine, I was thankful the third night, when I was relieved of the charge of the squallers, as I had had no rest the two nig-hts previous. The following morning-, however, to my surprise, my mistress appeared at rather an unreasonable hour in my bedroom and told me it was time to get up, as baby had kept her awake. I call It an unreasonable hour In the morning, as the lights on the Devonport Wharf had not then been extinguished.

Surely there should be some protection for girls who have to work for their living. I think It is quite time that Mrs Devonport realised that the nursemaid is human as well as she, and that, though poor pater requires rest and quiet after being in town, all day, that the unfortunate nursemaid had had her duties to perform too. Of course I can sympathise

with poor young mistress, as my master was an elderly gentleman and a second Bluebeard. Needless to say, I did not remain long in those quarters. I was afraid of either being starved to death or coming to some other untimely end.—l am, etC-) AN AUCKLANDER.