MAIDS STILL MISSING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 484, 17 April 1909, Page 10

MAIDS STILL MISSING.

GOVERNMENTS REPORTS. ■ The reports for the last month published by the Government Wornon's Employment. Bureaux iu the four centres do not afford the liveliest reading for harassed mothers of families. ■'.:''.■-. reports that during the month: 65 women havo been assisted to employment, 38 single and-27 married. The following were the.callings of those helped:—Generals,' 20; cook, 1.; housemaids," 7; girls to-.assist, 2 j: dressmaker; l ; j-nurses,-4; kitchenmaids, 2; lady-helps, 2; waitresses, 3; machinists, 2;-.''. charwomen, 19; seamstresses, 2; laun- . dress,- 15...-.', ,' .-.. .:,. ..-■..:.• ;;; The steamers Paparoa and Corinthic, from Great Britain, were met by Miss Bremnor,, and information and advice afforded to the' immigrants. .-It -is apparently next.to-im--possible to get- maids to go - into the country'. The position ..is .very serious-for women with - young: families who. require, domestic' .help .urgently;,.' Maids are also showing - a strong disinclination to engage in private, sor'vice; preferring public places or. institutions, where the work is more, defined, the hours shorter, more- liberty given in, the way of holidays, and time-off. It must/not be assumed, :however, thatthe. demands on servants in private service: are at all unreasonable, as in tho majority of homes.' a weekly half-holiday is given, with generouspay,'and most':6f'the evenings, off. Tho tendency is towards: improvement. of::conditions., under -which th'oidomestio..works.-:i'Good..places.are ■ always : available for> the .right xlass, of .girls.;. "f'j Auckland Teportsthat 184 applications have been received-for domestic workers; and 123 ■domestics.'have'sought - ,the aid-of v the office ;tb,.obtain''employment.';' thisimakes.i.in. all , ■a'_;total:.!\of; 307-;' applications ie dealt .with; .Eighty-three domestics havo been.placed in' employment, ;and. tho remainder - have i either been -too' hard to, please, or have been suited i'elsowhere/before the exact; kind of work they , desired: from' the .office; was i available.;; The : dearth'of : generals is' stiUi very keenly 'felt. .' '■■'■' In'(. Christchurch-■;-. 83 .persons "applied for- ; assistance, >..'• 71; ;of .;■ - whom .shave .been:' suited;; One';:hundredand .ninety-, nine applications':have;,been, received,-from ; '.employers seeking-help, so .that it will be : seen'that the idemand stilly largely, exceeds : the supply. It is not experienced domesticß ■ who _are iWarited••so much-as- strong.generals i ■or{girls'.who. Vare willing toibbtaugbt.' There.' arev-numbers' of .mistresses, who would-. give ! good, homes-and good; wages to.,girls of this class if; such .could be got.: .applica- : tions-from-new'arrivals havo .been, received for. employmentj ■"but they are most'unwilling '' to;take general work;: .'All classes 1 of domes-: ' tics arescarce," but a good-general can always *. take'up-any others branch of'domestic work. : ; :.''lt is a very busy time; at presentwith fruit- ' preserverspand one or two factories are con- j siderably pressed' for. want .of labour. -Work ' can' be found for- a number of .girls at this ] class,'of employment/ also for a 'number ;of J costume-makers and hatand pap makers.' -.-, * ,-, Dunedin was badly disappointed, for dur- { ihg > the -month 106 employers applied; for 117 ' whereas ','-. only some 60 assist- I ants • calledi at .-the office inquiring: for -. work; '{ '40 of; 'whom .were placed.dn employment. • /Presumably the girls'were; not. too keen , ! to -take-up situations; in-view of the :ap- ;1 proach'of the Easter holidays. ■ '.;'-:,', ;'