DOMESTIC SERVANT PROBLEM.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13332, 26 January 1909, Page 8

DOMESTIC SERVANT PROBLEM.

DEPUTATION TO THE HON. G. FOWLDS. A deputation from the Canterbury Sheepowners' Union, consisting of Messrs Walter Macfarlane, D. D. Macfarlane, Wilfred Hall and F. H. Labatt (secretary) waited on the Hon. G. Fowlds yesterday morning in regard to tho shortage of female domestic servants. Mr Walter Macfarlane said that for years past there had been a great shortage, not of domestic servants, but of female labour of all classes. Instead of tho position improving, it had become more unsatisfactory every year. A sufficient number of women—although there were plenty of men—wero not coming to the Dominion. The matter was ono which affected all classes of the community, and nioro especially those in the country districts. Girls .had a great objection to going out into tho backblocks, and tho cities wero not nearly so badly off. According to the

! census returns, there, was a preponderance of 54,000 males over teniales iv New Zealand. I_ Britain, females pre- - ponderated to the number of one and ■ a quarter million. From that it would appear as though they should be able > to draw upon Britain, for domestics. The speaker had heard of a factory , whose machinery was standing idle on account of the dearth of female labour. The Minister: Havo you any special plan whereby the shortago can be overcome 'f Mr Macfarlane replied that tho Government was helping in a 6in_U way, , but it could assist more by sending an emigration agent to Britain. Many of the immigrants coming here were not of a suitable class, and should be sent back. Even waifs and strays came out. If an agent went Home he could select suitable girls from the country districts. Tho employers would have to do their share by advancing the passage money if they could secure tho right class oi labour. The agent should travel through Britain and possibly through parts of the Continent as well, and a depot should be provided here to keep tho girls until they were sent to .their destination. The main thing was to get tho suitable kind of persons to come out. Mr D. D. Macfarlane said the female labour agents were able to supply only a third of the demand. Many people did not mako application for servants because they knew it was hopeless. Many ladies in the country had got into a perfectly hopeless state, and were enduring a condition of white slavery. Their constitutions wero ruined and they did not dare to add to their domestic responsibilities. As a result the birth-rate was diminishing instead -of increasing. In the towns there was somo hope, but in tho country there was not. The rioh people were not affected so much—it was the class that could employ only one servant and could not afford to pay high wages. Tho ladies of Hawke's Bay bad brought out girls at their own expense, but in some respects this system -was not satisfactory, as after the employers bad gono to all the expense of oringing domestics out they left and went to somebody else. The Sheepowners' Union thought of doing something like that, but did not care to overlap upon the (Jovernment organisation. They recognised tliat tho Government had done some good at Home, but it had not gone far enough. The present tests im- j posed at Home (certificates from a clergyman and a doctor) were not sufficient. Moans should be taken to see that tho girls wero capable of doing what they said that could do. An agent sent Home by the Government would see that only capable girls wero sent out. Danish, Swedish, German and French girls might also be secured. The matter was one that affected tho settlement of the land. Women as well as men were necessary to make settlement satisfactory. If a man could not get a wife there was no inducement for him to co away from the town. The Minister said no doubt there was a large unsatisfied demand for female domestics in New Zealand, and the Government was anxious to assist in any reasonable way. The class they had been getting was fully satisfactory, but th© trouble was that it was not sufficiently numerous. Ono great difficulty in sending an agent Home to engage labour was the liability it cast upon the Government to provide employment for those who camo. For that reason he would like to see an extension of the Hawke's Bay system, whereby girls wero selected and sent out by the British Women's Emigration Association. This body had better means for getting into touch with tho right class than any organisation of the High Commissioner. The difficulty of girls not staying in their situations was one that everybody had to face. Most countries set their face against contract labour. Ho was fully conscious of the need for getting a larger number of women to come out, and also for gettin . tho best class selected. Ho would have tho matter very carefully considered and see what could be done, ike was not sanguine as to tho appointment of an agent to go Home, however. They must remember, also, that the dearth of domestics was beinc felt at Home as well. He would be pleased to co-operate in any reasonable ' way with the body tho deputation represented, and if there was any proposal to form an association on tho Hawke's Bay lines, he would be glad to extend the same facilities to it.

•Mr Walter Macfarlane said that as from 2000 to 3000 domestics could be placed immediately, he did not see that the Government would incur any liability in appointing an agent and getting the girls selected and sent out. The Minister nromiseo to confer with the Minister for"Labour with the idea, if possible, of evolving some satisfactory scheme to overcome the difficulty.