SCARCITY OF DOMESTICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17101, 5 March 1919, Page 9

SCARCITY OF DOMESTICS.

Sir.— havo just read a letter under this heading from " *•">'•'»• '-<(•«- tic." Shall I give a glimpse of the other side? I have four c. ildren, ranging from 10 months lo iU years. .uj u — contains seven rooms, kitchen, a d conveniences. Two eldest children at school, having mid-day di'ner there. I have cut down the household duties to the minimum. I look after my children myself, preferring this to hired help, as my greatest I'esire is to train them up to bo good citusenE. Without reflections on the many good and capable women who undertake " children's nurse," I feel it a duty ar -" ■ 'easure to look after my own children in thoir tender years. However, to' do this means I must haye capable help to do the mechanical duties of keeping my house in order, and I may state here that from experience of housekeeping I should believe,it to be much moro interesting than othor occupations girls follow, such as typewriting, factory or shop work, and again fittiig a girl for her natural sphere in life. I keep a maid, to whom I pay 30s per week. So» that she won't be overworked, and still leave mo free, I have outside help to do washing and odd cleaning one day. another day to do ironing, etc. (including imaid's effects, and two half-days to help my maid turn out rooms. My maid's routine duties are finished not later than 11 a.m. each day, she has a minimum of cooking for mid-day dinner and then tea for our evening meal, as my husband also dines out mid-day. Now these facta can bo verified. She has at least four hours to herself each day, and finished entirely not later than 7 p.m. If I have evening visitors I get what I require for them myself. Again, she has at least seven weeks' holiday each year, and paid full wages- She has an excellent home, and vet she makes life unbearable for me- I happen to bo lone-suffering, but if this eirl is asked to do anything which, as she supposes, does not come under her daily routine, I am led to believe I am taking advantage. She baa succeeded in making it so disagreeable for me that now I have given up, ana when there is any emergency call on B' time I perform the duties myself heedless to say only the fact that the domestic problem is such" an acute one at present that I have not dismissed her, she has time and again been most impertinent, and to one gently nurtured as I happen to have been, my soul has again and again been turned to bitterness at the thought that for the eake of my children I have to endure it. I have no intention of trying to air my grievances, but I am showing the Bolshevik tendencies of modern domestics, knowing as they do that they are in the minority. Can yon wonder that mistresses become hard ana unnatural towards them, treating their servants as paid menials, as they term themselves, while in moat cases they receive more considerations that the members of one's own family. One op the Imposed Upon.