"I WONDER !".

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1061, 25 February 1911, Page 5

"I WONDER !".

rHE LOT OF THE DOMESTICS. . Jt.fEW QUESTIONS TO A MAGISTRATE. lA.ND SOME COMMENTS. (By Telesraph.—Special Corrwyondent.l 'v. Chrlstchuroh, February 24.. ~ Mr. H. W. Bishop, S.M., showed a repreifcntative of the "Times"' vaster-' day an interesting letter, he unexpectedly feceivcd from Wellington, can- 1 ■ taining a reply to some remarks - hej ; made from tho Bench., in regard to' domestic service. In a civil caso ho was ■ hearing in this city, a young lady said' that she worked in a laundry, and earned 16s. a week, out of which shoj paid her board. "And. yet these girls,"' . ! ho commented, "will not enter domestic, service where they would get practi-r-'-cally tho same money and board as well. It's very strange." His remarks were * republished in a Wellington journal, and tho letter, which is anonymous, came as v a rejoinder. The writer deals somewhat severely with Mr. Bishop, but ho says' that that does not give him any con- • cern. He thinks that the writer has/ stated her arguments clearly and'for-y v cibly, and has mads out a "very good! one-sided caso from her. point of view, and has made a mistake in giving her w.;. statements a general application. . Ini - his dura household, for instance, V he] .J'!.; has been paying a domestic.help lately;-. \ 255. a week. Slio has had exactly the , same kind of food as Mr. Bishop -' and) • his family have had. She has. had no* washing to'do except for herself, and ".- : sho has been addressed with as much', - : deference as any other certainly-had the smallest room, but; it':-};;-is a very good one, r.nd cany, givo _no ;> cause for complaint. " ~ .1". ■ ! Mr. Bishop suggests that if the. writ-'i cr's. talents in regard to. domestioidut- 1 ,; -?:' ies aro equal to her litdrary talents, and smartnesi she should be welcomed:as valuable addition to any liousehold, and; ' . should be able to. command a' -"rate'of'?,;,2 wages much; above ;the average.\V Tha', '- letter-is asfoliows:—^-' ir V v' i' "To Mr Bishop, S.M. •. ' "Sir,—Regarding the enclosed para-V; ; j, graph from Tuesday night's paper, may perhaps be able to enlighten you av" ■ - ■littlo: on: tho subject. Have you; : for inf.) _V ; stance, ever: noticed • the overbearing ■' : way most people have of speaking .;to,vC"i and of, domestics? And have you ever, ■- 'been in>a>position to know/or-tried to;; calculate, now long the hoars of duty, ■ are for them ? ■ And havo you cveri;-.. thought i how arduous and even disgust-: inc.are.soma of .tho .duties demanded of a domestic?. There'are some things one-', cannot write about, moro'shamo to tho v.: .P'omju ."who; deems it right to - ask an-'- ■ other _to perform them. And have >oui beonwinf_many; of . the'_ so-called} bedrooms relegated to domestics ? And you surely forget that: tho wages are' not a surplus.fund."i How' much do you' 'suppose has -to bo paid:out in clothes, shoes, etc., worn and worn out perform- - ' - ing a domestic's work?. ■ A: domestic is.- . mostly asked, or told, to. wear a:um-i : form, which' of.:courSe is 'not.bought or!; made for nothing,; .' aridv. special" house shoes,_ - neither :' of-./which is:, everlasting, are • in * f3ct a very,;' / considerable item of expenditure.':'. "GirlS who havo homes or a trado aro 3'ise , not, to ;go to . domestic service. : From start to finish\thero js so much'to ,be said a'gainits-it adviso you to. send'your .own <kugh-v -ters, if you. li;uieVanV,'to domlstic- seri ,; vice. Send them incognito' as general; . and compel them to stay :ono 'month at'each' of six different situa- ■ tions,; ' You." jvill .Ijheni uo longer have ' cause to say 'It is strange,' when you hear of girls preferring factory. work. Also can you. tell'me why; the worst - - possible"? room,'Vb'ed,!-bedding, light, . utepsils, foqd—in fact everything . ■ is always' necessary for. a domestic? 1 - say 'necessary'.! because, the employers . always deem it to be, 1 even i when newly furnishing.'And'why should a domestic,: like Lazarus, always, bo a receptacle : for the fragments?; .There is much to . be said-on'- the subject, 'but: time is . very limited, though werb is not.: If -

you would solve the problem you must first get legislation, for the domestic workers, for nntili a . sound business basis is formed, as with -' all other classes of workers.. there. will be; constant friction on "both sides. *, Domestia workers are no more entitled to ba doormats than either yourself o< Lord Islington. ■; They - are, ■. lik< both of. . you, working . for / aj .salary, and not only giving /equivalent for such, but in most cases six/times the amount of service in exchange. : Ycfc deference is shown.to the, one and" difference to tho other worker. The dual nature of these mannikins who toady to wealth 'and position, whenever - and wherever possible, savours of the sere* comic to those whose- intellect (and when it comes to tho_ point, birth' too) is far superior to their owny-but -who,' through stress of circumstances, have often to seek to earn an holiest existence under tho roofs of these same creatures, and ; Add - degradations .only thereby, inasmuch as that it: * always goe3 against, the grain to perform '"any service, whether in exchange or charitable, -for an- ingrate. But,- instead of merely passing comments on tho strangeness' of results, do your utmost to improve the cause. Use the opportunity to secure for domestic workers that which you in your position, profess to mete out to all, regardless.of:all'else Aro you principled/ enough to bear the succrs.md jeers that.would bo vour lot did you try to gain this end ? I wonder I Let this signature Isufficfr— ■ "A DOMESTIC "WORKER."