OFFICE OR HOME ?

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 August 1929, Page 8

OFFICE OR HOME ?

DEMAND FOR DOMESTICS.

Reports concerning much unemployment among women typists and clerks apparently need to be qualified. Mr. A. J. Hutchinson informed an Auckland “Star” reporter that out of a commercial school of 250 only two were not in positions, and that was because they were not suitable. “The trouble is that I don’t know where to turn for girls,” said Mr. Hutchinson. “We can place all qualified girls we have got, and want more. We do not consider a girl is qualified until she can do shorthand at the rate of 100 words a minute. The girls who cannot find positions are probably those who are not qualified. At least, that is our experience. Some girls are quite unsuited for office work; no amount of training would ever make them qualified; and it is probably that type of girl who is out of work, if there is any marked amount of unemployment.”

Miss Jean Begg, secretary of the Young Women’s Christian Association, said a good many typists came to the rooms looking for employment of lato. From what they said she understood that in a number of business places the staff was being reduced, and one girl now had to do work that was formerly done by two girls. It was always a relief to the officials of the association when the girls looking fox* positions said they were willing to take domestic service. There was no difficulty in placing & girl in domestic service, and in eight cases out of ten the result was satisfactory both to the girl and the mistress. The old days when domestic service was so uncongenial, not to say slavery, had gone and to-day domestic service was quite a pleasant way for a girl to earn her own living. Miss Begg thought it a pity more girls did not go in for domestic service. Her experience was that there was apparently difficulty at present in placing typists, whereas there was quite a demand for girls for domestic duties. It seemed that as soon as a girl went to a secondary school that was the end of it as far as ever taking up domestic service was concerned.