NEW ZEALAND DOMESTIC SERVANTS.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 6, Issue 243, 13 October 1915, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND DOMESTIC SERVANTS.

Editor. 'The Maoriland Worker," —Tho Ward Government passed an amendment to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act- prohibiting domestic servants from taking advantago of the said Act. AS SERVANTS ARE NOT EMPLOYED TOR THE PURPOSE OF GAIN LIKE AN INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYEE: this clause was prompted from tho Pott's Point, I mean Thorndon elite, who held a. largo mooting of ""stresses, to protest against girls

forming a "Union. I believe they had tivo lawyers on tho platform, with the result tho Act was amended. Again, tho' "Six Bays a Week" Act, introduced hy Mr. Fisher, excluded domestic servants from its benefits. With some domestic servants sleeping in insanitary bedrooms, under staircases, no lock on tho doors, no bcdrooiU conveniences, getting, limited ..meals' when they cau— with what they can; all above were facts stated ,by girls who attended a Domestic,' Workers' meeting, held iv Wellington. Is it right'thoy should bo hold down?

There aro two ways of moving to aid theso girls, (I) Advise. British papers tbat'ilome.stio girls in democratic New Zealand are unable to fyke advantage °f 'ho Labour. Laws, they cau bo worked all hours and Sundays, as the State.does not supervise them; (2) Let the ladies of tho S.D.P. advertise in tiie Wanted column for 500 domestic girls to attend a meeting to organise them into somo combine, as tho N.Zi Shearers and Woolshqd Employees are considering tho appointment of a woman, organiser to organiso domestichelps in. the country. -, "" -"ALERT."'