AN OLD PROBLEM

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 92, 15 October 1927, Page 10

AN OLD PROBLEM

SERVANT AND MISTRESS

A "FIFTY-FIFTY" CONTRACT

POINTS OF VIEW

A correspondent, "Only a Do- ' mestic," has -written to "The Post" bitterly complaining of the "conditions under which domestics battle," and advocating some movement to improve the lot of the girl who works "almost 100 hours for 30s a week." Her letter is interesting in that it raises once again the ever-present and age-old question of the domestic problem. What are the proper relations to be observed between servant and served? It is a' subject on which advice may be given in cartloads, but which defies decision by rule. Too much depends upon the human element. The treatment of servants has exercised great minds from Bible days till now, but still we find the problem is acute. It worries the housewife. How much latitude can she alow her servant without becoming over-indulgent? How much latitude can she allow her servant sive? How can she get a maid? And having got one how can sne keep her? It troubles the servant. How much and what kind of work can she do without being "put upon"? How can she get away from that 1 inferior feeling; make her mistress understand that she feels it degrading to be called by her Christian name, and that she thinks the bedroom given her is not as attractive as it should be? MANY REQUIREMENTS. "Only a Domestic" states that most mistresses expect their domestic employee to be "equal to a grand hotel chef; an expert laundress; a perfect waitress; a butt for their spoilt children, and to clean (shame on him!) the master's boots." It is generally understood that the satisfactory running of a house depends very largely upon an j agreeable relationship between servant and employer, and it is granted that it | cannot be said of every mistress, "she openeth her mouth with wisdom; in her tongue is the law of. kindness." .Still, it must be admitted that with domestic help so hard to get and so easy to lose, allowances are nowadays made and conditions adjusted to meet successful applicants, as were never dreamed of before. Jokes about the sacrifices made by housewives in order to entice and hold their servants are now as well known and widespread as those about mothers-in-law, and world humour is not based on exceptions. Modern mistresses are mostly too thankful for a plain dinner properly cooked to demand hotel methods of preparation and serving. As for the laundering of clothes (for .washing often comes within the duties of a general servant now that the days are long gone when a 500-a----year salary meant at least three servants), it aoes not take a very intelligent person to become sufficiently "expert" to deal with the simple garments of to-day, which are purposely designed for quick and easy cleansing. Half a century ago, matters might have been different. Then starching, crimping, and gauffering required patience and skill, and was rewarded with a yearly wage of not more than £18. Whether hours aro long or short does, of course lie a good deal with the mistress, but she knows that she cannot expect too much, for "times off" are stipulated, and no girl will stay without being alJowed a certain number of free evenings and afternoons. CHILDREN IN THE FAMILY. But "Only a Domestic's "complaint regarding spoilt children is worth considering. This is notoriously the age of children,, and some parents, quite a lot in fact, believe in giving their offspring a free rein. Eepression they must not have, and as the untrained w «ten lacUned t0 Jibe and jeer, what better object for infant venom than Annie or .Mary! The spiteful <S V PUt -1 * 7 8l«ariy» generally j knows his onions," and both intuition and experience tell him that he is safe in abusing the servant. She's "only a domestic" and he can do no wrong On the other hand, happy, well-manner-ed youngsters often! enjoy the time spent in the kitchen with 7an amiable help," and often as not the enioyment is mutual. e"J°y,

The cleaning of the master's boots is of course, a terribly difficult question! put as the correspondent herself' menwhnS lhat^" aU WCrk is honourable," why should she mind? One would think there was as much satisfaction to %s£s&££** shoes as *» * pflUfw Ifu? ly lt waß not even accepted that the whitebait grows into the fiT^ *Mr> Hefford seems *<> be satUfled on that point, but, when it comes to dealing with depletion of the whitebait « certain rivers, he comments: Measures for its conservation must be based on an understanding of the v P rv V^ l7- °, f the species ' abo»* whi«h very little is known at the present time. More especially we require to know its spawning places and the extent of its migration. It i s o f i m p Or t ance to ascertain, for instance, whether the whitebait which run up a particular river h^T^ fr°m Parent fißh wMch in" namtea the same river, or whether they may be derived from the bt6ck of some other river. It has been.stated that shoals of whitebait are to be found in the open seaj but this needs scientific confirmation Preliminary arrangements have been made for the invert!-" gation of these problems of whitebait biology, and it is expected that in the course of the- current year some useful light may be thrown upon this ques?fl J problem of b e«er regulation' of fishing operations,has also received attention, especially with regard to the Hokxtika fishing, where the present position is far from satisfactory, and involves the local inspector in an undue amount of trouble and responsibility It would appear that fresh legislation will be necessary before any fundamental improvement can be effected."

POOD TOR TROUT. Of equal importance is the whitebait or manga as a food supply' f or trout, since the trout is capable (under a single, efficient management) of attracting to New Zealand a very lucrative kind of tourist traffic, as well as of becoming possibly a marketable food. Concerning the whitebait as food for trout, the report states: "The view has been put forward that the rapid growth and fine condition of the trout in New Zealand rivers have been very largely due to this item in their food supplies, and that the superiority in size and abundance of the brown trout of a generation ago was in consequence of the abundance of whitebait and inanga food which was then to be found in all rivers. This reasoning doubtless holds good to a considerable degree, especially in certain of our rivers, but it does not cover the whole of the problem. The subject of the relation of acclimatised fish to their indigenous food supplies is one of great importance, but in New Zealand it has scarcely been touched upon up to the present time, although two biologists have made brief essays in this field of research. Problems of this Bort, however, cannot be solved by investigations of brief duration, but require a more comprehensive and continuous scheme of work than has hitherto- been pos-

sible. The longer this class of fishery work is neglected the greater will be the difficulties to be faced when it commences to be taken in hand. A praiseworthy effort haß been made during the year by the Wellington Acclimatisation Society for the encouragement of scientific research in connection with fresh-water fisheries. A grant of £400 per annum for three years has been guaranteed to the "Victoria College for the purpose of founding a post-graduate research fellowship for the study of the conditions in the rivers of the district." The fellowship has been granted to Captain J. H. Phillips, who is investigating the conditions of trout waters in the Wellington district. The report has interesting matter about whales as well as whitebait. This notice must be regarded as merely a whitebait's bite at a subject which should really be treated on a whale serle.