THE DOMESTIC SERVANTS QUESTION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 26 February 1909, Page 4

THE DOMESTIC SERVANTS QUESTION.

MEETING- OF LADIES. [United Press Association.] CHRIfiTCHURCH, Thursday. A meeting of ladies was held this afternoon for the matter of considering what steps shonM he taken (o deal with tho pr?sent difficulty in the way of obtaining domestic servants. There was a very large attendance of ladies, and Mrs Craecroft Wilson presided. Several apologies for absence wers received, and the writers expressed their approval erf the proposal to urge the Government to establish a free immigration system from j England for servants. Mrs Cracroft Wilson, in opening the meeting, said the idea was to petition Parliament to restore the free passage system for women servants. The whole success of the scheme depended upon the way it was carried out by the Government, f Jirls from Scotland and somo parts of Irela'nd were considered to be the most suitable for eending out, while the Scandinavian girls had been recommended by Mr O. Fowlds, but objection had been taken to the importing of any but EngliEh girls. An important reason why the Government should give free passages to single women was that girls would be under more authorised supervision. They would have a special part of the flhip arranged for them, as in the early 3ays, and would have one or more matrons to take charge of them on the voyage, and also on their arrival. Mr Fowlds had said in answer to a deputation from the Ship Owners' Union that he feared the liability to be incurred in finnding employment for the domestic h?lps as soon as they land, but she did not think that difficulty would last very long. She had been told by captains of ships that they received letters on getting to Hobart to engage suitable people who wer3 coming out as passengers, to the great emharrassment of the captain sometimes. On other ships, the passengers engaged servants who were on th?ir way to New Zealand before they landed. Mrs Hawdon. who had inaugurated the proposal leading to the holding ol th? meeting, then moved : "That in the opinion of this meeting the women of New Zealand should petition our Parliament to restore for some time at least State free passages to single women smtabl" for domestic service " The motion was seconded by Miss (_olborne Veel, who said she thoroughly agreed with the views of the previous speaker. The School of Domestic Instruction was giving instruction to theuirls in the upper standards, but or the girls trained very few went into domestic service, and those were not always the brightest. The others went into factories and shop. , After considerable discussion the motion was carried, and a committee was set. up to bring the matt?r before the I ladies ill other parts of New Zealand in ! order that a set of petitions might be presented to Parliament.