THE LADY SERVANT QUESTION.

Evening Star, Issue 12764, 17 March 1906, Page 8

THE LADY SERVANT QUESTION.

During the conference on domestic service for° educated women, at the Caxton Hall, London, Mrs Walter Ward, the founder of the Norland Institute, in the course of a speech, told of her success, which, she said, had been stadiry increasing in the twelve or thirteen years of the Institute's existence, during which nearly 1,000 lady nurses had been trained. Mrs Ward has a musical voice, and a lively humor which delighted the overflowing audience. Her description of teaching a "heavy" girl of eighteen how to hold a baby (Mrs Ward taking the baby, happily, and the would-be nurse a pillow!) was very amusing. Dr Kimmins, the Chief Inspector of the L.O.C. Education Department, was in the chair, and two or three other men were present. Another L.C.C. official who Bpoke was Miss C. Gordon, Inspector of Domestic Subjects. The audience were interested in £he " real experiences" of a lady cook who was among the later speakers. This lady confessed that she found the life " a very monotonous one, but the regular hours,' she said, " tend to mako it a fairly healthy one." This lady ccok has a cosy sitting room for her own use, where she has her tea. but breakfast and dinner are taken with the children of the family and their governess.

It was proposed that a committee be appointed to deal with the whole problem, and l>r Kimmins suggested three definite points for consideration: What course of training is most suitable as a preparation for domestice service Would certificates of efficiencj be of value? How far would certificate! issued by recognised public examining bodies be of service, or will it bs necessary to have some certificate of efficiency based ■upon absolutely different lines? Sirs Headlum suggested that the solution of the problem would be in the adoption of the communal system. "The middle-class household is doomed."