RESIDENT AID

Evening Star, Issue 18332, 20 July 1923, Page 8

RESIDENT AID

DOMESTIC SERVICE PROBLEM. The council of the Melbourne Housewives’ Association recently considered resident aid for home service and the possibility of assuring definite hours and raising the status of this work. The President said they wanted to substitute the words “ resident aid ” for “ domestic service,” and to raise the status of tills work, as that of nursing had been dono in tho past. The object was to provide for a working week day of nine hours, from 7 a.m. to 7.30 p.m., with an hour and a-lialf off for meals and two hours off duty in tho afternoon, one whole day off a week, and on Sundays six hours to bo worked one Sunday and eight hours the next, making a total of fifty-three working hours for one week and fifty-one working hours for the following week, and an average of fifty-two working hours a week. It was earnestly desired to raise the status, and that the girls receive the title of “ Miss.” The President also outlined an American scheme whereby housewives or any skilled domestic workers took in girls and trained them, the girls becoming efficient in their work and receiving testimonials as resident aids. She mentioned that Miss Cornock, who was present at the meeting. had been successful in establishing such a home, and had girls who were anxious to obtain positions. The president suggested that the association should work in conjunction with Miss Cornock, who might attend at a bureau for resident aid when the tea rooms were established. Mrs Glencross suggested that Miss Cornock attend at the association rooms for this purpose at an early date. She expressed tho opinion that girls should be compelled to train in domestic science, and moved that the scale of hours for resident aid, as proposed by tho president, bo adopted. Mrs 'James, in seconding the motion, said that domestic science .should be made compulsory for girls as military training was for boys. Tho motion was agreed to with the addition that tho status of domestic work bo raised and that they approach the Minister of Education with a view to making domestic science compulsory for s irls -