THE LADY HELP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 52, 2 March 1901, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE LADY HELP.

who appeared upon the scene some 20 years ago was a failure, because she drew a distinction between menial work and work that was lit for a lady to do. She had to learn, as the hospital nurse has learned, that all work done for the good of humanity is dignified and sacred. It is probable that domestic service will

become a profession for ladies in exactly

the same way as nursing has become a refined profession. There are several indications that this will be so, as for instance, the establishment of the Nordland Institute for training ladies as children's nurses, and the numerous private experiments which are being made in that direction. The nobility of any profession is made by the ideas which people bring to it, and the appearance of -the lady may do for domestic service what it has done for the nursing profession. Apart, however, from these possibilities of the future, it must be admitted that much of the so-called servant difficulty,

arises from the fact that mistresses cannot bring themselves to realise that the same human nature exists In them and in their servants. They have a fatal lack of imagination in dealing with their servants, and forget servants have th. same human desires, aspirations, failings, and contradictions as reign in their own bosoms. ~ TURNING TO GERMANY,

it will be found that the Government takes a hand in' the servant girl problem, as it does in almost everything else, and it has succeeded in partially solving at least one phase of the difficulty. It has reduced the servant girl's "night!-' ness ' to a minimum; she cannot change places once a week the year around. For, when she moves, the Government, represented by the police, must know all about it, and if there is any difficulty or dispute, disagreeable questions may be asked. Indeed, the process of employing a servant girl is a good deal of a business transaction, with a decidedly official tinge. The girl comes to your kitchen and you agree with her about the wages, and she says she will stay. Then you must go to the police station and obtain a white card, or blank, which has spaces for all sorts of information about the new "girl." You must write down her full name, where she carrie from, whether married or single, her trade, whether cook, chambermaid, at waitress; her birthday and year; her' nationality, her religion, her own home, and 15 married, how many minor children she has, where they are and who their guardian is. The Government always looks out well for the children, and sees that they are' provided for comfortably, this being the more necessary, because many perhaps most, servants are married worn-* en with typically large families.

ALL THIS CEREMONY tends to make it ditticuit for a girl to move about, or for the master to discharge her with Ismail cause. Should it be necessary at any time for the girl to leave there must be more dealings with the police. The householder now gets a green blank, or card, on which he reports wdth the same completeness of description the departure of his servant. And there must be no delay in, any of these else the police, who their fingers on every man, woman and child in Germany, know just where each individual snould be at any given time, will begin making inquiries, and if you have not reported you are taken before the magistrate and fined. All this tends to prevent the rapid circulation of servant girls so familiar to every Bi.tisTi householder, in which the Jessies followed the Maggies and the Marys followed the Jessies in swift succession. Nor do the German "girls" expect such deference as these in this country;' they are industrious and quiet;' they are willing to work for moderate wages; and to do any sort of disagreeable task, but On the other hand, not so much is expected of them, and their mistresses are perhaps more tolerant. t

THE SERVANT GIRL IN AMERICA. is in very much the same position as in Britain, allowing for differences in the social habits of the people. At Monett, Mo., however, a servant girls' society has been established, which has absolute control of the. servant girl problem in this town. The Monett Efbuseniaias' Club was formed about a year ago,; and has 50 members. In addition to regulating the contracts of its membership, it exercises a big Influence on all the servant girls in town. Matters have come to the point where not a housekeeper in the village can secure a first-class maid without the consent and the recommendation of the union. Recently the wife of a' prominent railroad official living in Monett tried to employ a girl who has a reputation of keeping her kitchen like a mirror and baking cakes that melt in one's mouth, and this is what took place

—"Where are your references?" asked the girl, who was taking, a vacation with her home folks. "References? You mean that you will get your references and bring them to me?" "No, sure not.- I belong to the club. You will have to get a recommendation from the President of the Girls' Club before I can work'for you. Or else, if your last housemaid was a member of our club and will give you a good send-off, I can go there and try it awhile."

WHEN A SERVANT HAS A GRIEVANCE a meeting of the Club is called. Her case is laid before tho body and a vote is taken. If she is sustained unanimously the whole machinery of the club is set to work to find her a new position. The vote, however, must be unanimous. If there is a single vote against her, and she quits, her position, she does so at her own risk. The club makes no effort to get work for her. One reason for the growth of the club lies in the fact that positions are found for new members as soon as. they join the club. When a servant girl finds herself out of work her first move is to join the Housemaids' Club. The. girls themselves take, pride in keeping up the standard, and it is admitted generally by Monett housekeepers that the most efficient cooks and housemaids in town are members of It. It appears that the girls require no formal test of the skill of their members, but the Inevitable freemasonry among the craft keeps each thoroughly posted on the abilities of the others.

RETURNING' TO THE GENERA". question;

if must bo admitted that'there is often' ground for the prejudices which are entertained against domestic service. In many places the servant girl has to work early nnd late. She has not a single half-hour in the day which she can really call her own. Friends are not allowed to visit her, and If she gets out once on* Sunday and one evening during the week (which is by no means j always the case), she is supposed to have ■ ail the freedom she can legitimately claim. Whether we like it or not, we have to face the fact that the servant of to-day wants her freedom, nnd in any true solution of the servant question we shall have to adjust our Ideas and arrangements with this fact ,In view. The transitional stage through which we are passing will doubtless result in many- changes, but a prominent' lady In London argues that there is a present and practical solution of the dlfflcultv, which arises front the attitude ot mind on the part of the mistress towards the maid. The attitude of. the mistress towards the maid soon determines the attitude of the maid towards the mistress.