IMPORTED DOMESTICS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 104, 25 January 1908, Page 11

IMPORTED DOMESTICS.

Sydney".women have/been entering up/at tho. prospect, of: a vsteady stream* of young women .coming from the Old Country,to enter domestic „seryico_in the /• Several had already";arrived, mora wore'"coming; .-it. was easy-;.t<);,'imagihc a ■continual procession * of' iiiaicls'eager for. bmploymcnt at' 1 13s. toVl4s.'for generals; and'lls.: to 12g.; forjliotispinaids;' Biit the' Sydney, Morning Herald/"' which bas;b'een;in/|uiring jjito-.tho affairs' of the Ja-st ot of '■ imriiigrcntsj. a'..warning' against painting- a" too rosy 'picture ofAustralian-life •« "desirablo emigrants, .'saying 'that it is. of no advantage^to bring girls to tho",colonies.if ■ they ia're' to be".disappointed-as ; s'ooii' as they irrive.' ' ' '

\A,representatiyp-pfijtho^^fcrald'' had an mt : 'eH - iow,-wit,l\.'on'c of thb, doniqstses. v.'Jio ap;>aVflntJjvis sorry'.'thai- sho .came out to Australia. .She was engaged in London to work \t.'a: largo- boarding'establishment, and evidentlydid not find tho' place to her liking, for 11 '.reviewing her. position she s'nid: " Oh, yes, i like Sydney'all right; but things are'not »s bright; as they wpre painted by'tho Agcntueneral in Lonaoii.' When.' I was inquiring ibout the place I lvas told by tho officers at' Homo ; that I would liavo no difficulty 'in Betting work at £1 a week, while, if 1 was junky, J plight got 30s. . Well, I'vo not been n r"' * lu'Kht say I've been "unlucky, for all I got, is 12s. a week as-housemaid, and it 5..u0t : .t00.-'oasy .a' job. .To begin with, '1 work-longer h6iirs hero' than in London; and tho heat is-terrible. What! You don't Call to-day extra hot ?: Well,' if it/ gets anv warmer.• I'm off back tc- dear 'foggy- billLondon, . . \\y

Am I--satisfied with my place?' No, I'm not ; 'I'm- off to-look for 'something hotter, i vo'given notice, and -leave to-dav.. -l;'vo got lowhero to.go, hut I don't mind that. . I'll Boon get work when I .'want it-. I'm going-to nave ,a few days off to see all the prrttv places; rouwl Svdney that I'vo'lienrd about. I .Cion t mind tho heat if I'.canvget-into tho water, but working .about a' house in ''this' fJ'K&r weathor takos it out of you. I have icit- ttrtxl .ever since. I -landed." " "I think Sydnoy!s a perfectly lovely place," raid another girl-employed"in a private "Wv, I have been made quite at homo weiywhero I've Wen:. Ves, I'm glad I came jut to Australia. I love tho, sunshine. Where I-worked m •London' I was always below-'tho s k r .®®k 'Oyel, and drily g°t an occasional glance at tho sky up tho area'steps'. : Herolthc-ro S, seo ? ) any areas, to speak of." .1 hero is ono' lady in Sydney' who' is not struck, with the good, qualities of the imported' servant. Sne- ongaged. two of, the Miltiddes ' girls, and, accoruing to her statement, " they' did not turn out: trumps." ;They growled about t-hoi work they had- to do,'and complained - about conditions gcnerallv. In tho end they gave her''notice,. and left to seek otnor employment. thing I wa^.much' struckWith the employer, "and that' tljeir habit of beer drinking. Tlimo girls \iswl to ro down to tho corner hotel and' get their pint- of beer when tho fancy seized thein. r spoko to them about it-, and they said that, it was, customary to do it in London, and. they would do so in Sydriev "