The Lyttelton Times. WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1862.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 1008, 9 July 1862, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times. WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1862.

On the fourth of April last a letter, with the well-known signature of S. G. 0., appeared in the ' Times,' drawing attention to the efforts made by certain ladies to find a field of employment for women just enough educated to be above the ordinary work of domestic service. There are many such persons in England, who are not sufficiently instructed to undertake the duties of governesses, and who find the utmost difficulty in procuring food and lodgings. Miss Faithful l's printing establishment, and Miss Rye's office for copying law papers and other documents, have found work for a few; but their efforts have only revealed the number of those who are glad to take advantage of such means of earning a livelihood. The ladies who have interested themselves in this cause are endeavouring to assist such women to emigrate to colonies, where their services will be appreciated as nursery governesses, and in other capacities of trust. S. G. 0., while drawing- attention to the ; successful commencement of this work, appeals to ladies of wealth to interest themselves in this movement, and to communicate with Miss Eye or any of the ladies who initiated it. Immediately after the publication of S. G. O.'s appeal, letters appeared in the ' Timesfrom Miss Faithfull and Miss Rye, and subscriptions began to come in. Miss Faithfull says that the Victoria printing office affords occupation for a very small fraction of the numbers who apply there for work, and that she believes emigration will provide the desired outlet for the present sufferers. Miss Rye gives some account of what has been done. She says " we are in communication with either the Bishop, the leading merchants, or their wives, at the following places:— Sydney, Melbourne, Natal, and Canterbury." Thirty-eight governesses have been sent out at a cost of £800. There has been only time to hear of the arrival of eighteen of these (Miss Rye does not say in what colonies, except in the case of one who was married at Sydney,) but these eighteen obtained immediate employment at salaries varying from £25 to £70 a year. Most of the emigrants are sent out second-class. Some of them can pay the whole passage-money, and only want letters of introduction or.leave to join other ladies. In other cases the whole or a portion of the money is advanced on good security, the intention being to make the work self-supporting. The working expenses are almost nil, there being, neither office rent, advertising, nor printing to pay for. The success of the scheme, and the favour in which it is held in the colonies, will depend in a great measure on the discrimination shewn in selecting emigrants. Miss Rye says:—"During the past ten months we have had 147 applicants; several have, of course, for various reasons, been considered ineligible. We are now making up parties to start during the month for the following places, at the various dates stated, but we are much crippled from want of means :—-10th of April, Melbourne; 12th do, Sydney; Ist of May, Qui§nsland; 10th do, Canterbury; 16th do, Natal; sth June, Melbourne; 12th June, Sydney;; Ist of July, Adelaide." The commencement of this good and chairitable work ought to receive the attention due to it both in England and the colonies. As it appears that some of these emigrants, are to be sent here, it would be advisable to take ,steps for receiving them ..properly on landing. In a letter w hicli appeared in our columns on Wednesday last Mr. Donald states that he has received information that one or two nursery governesses will be sent to Canterbury by ,each emigrant vessel, and invites applications from persons desiring their services. He further says that in the case of the first of these arrivals some ladies' have volunteered to give them temporary hospitality. We : are very glad that our correspondent and his friends have taken such thoughtful precautions to give the scheme a lair chance • in first instance; but it is manifest that some more systematic arrangement must be made to meet further arrivals of immigrants bf this class. This is a case in which no doubt other private individuals will be prepared to give their assistance, if not for the sake of the good work which is attempted, at any rate for the sake of the community in which they live and in which their interests lie. In the meantime we shall bis curious to learn from Mr. Donald how many applications he receives for the : services of those governesses who fares first coming out. Although there may not be a large field for governesses of high pretensions, yet ' there is plenty of room for the class of; persons described by S. G. O. In a colony like this, where there are many people in comparatively easy circumstances with large families of young children, there ought to be a demand for educated females to take charge of them. It will probably be found that the persons sent out by Miss Rye and her fellow-workers .will adapt themselves more readily to the circumstances of the colony than the newlv-landed servant maids who too often astonish their employers by their ignorance and impudence. It is evident that the better educated a woman is, the more likely she is to respect herself and her employers; and that the vulgar assumption and want of manners so often complained of here must be attributed to the inferiority of the'class from which unfortunately too rnany of our servant-maids have been selected.* We do not hear that good servants of a superior class—well educated for their rank of life-—grow unmanageable here because they get high wages. It is the ignorant, who are so, elated by their prospects, that they don't know when they are well off. As to the emigrants sent out by Miss Rye, there will, of course, be persons 'of very different degrees of education and culture. Some may be fitted to take position as governesses capable, of giving a sound education, to children of the , middle class, while others may be competent only to take the

general charge of young children. In such cases, if they are satisfied to give such assistance as must be necessary where there are not many servants, they will readily'find situations which will lead to comfort and in-dependence—-situations. which would induce many well-educated but destitute females in England to emigrate if they could. We feel confident that if the supply is not overdone, this Province will be able to give employment for some of the large class of educated females who cannot find means to earn a livelihood in the old country. , \