DOMESTIC SERVANTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13544, 17 March 1906, Page 8

DOMESTIC SERVANTS.

TO THE EDITOR, Sib,—l have read with interest the letters in your columns ro the doinestio scrvico problem. Now, I have been a domeetio se-rvant for a good number of years, ami I do not. wonder that girls seek to make a living in 60me other way if they can. I think if tlio mistresses would show a little bit more consideration for their servant girls, especially when they do get ono that can and does work, t.liev would not have suoh a difficulty in getting their girls to stay with them. Speaking from experience, I will try to explain what I irean by consideration for their servants. I was four years with one family in the city of Dunedin, and might have been there for a much longer period if my mistress had not been so dreadfully snxious to drag all sho could out of me. My wages were only lCb a week, and I slaved from before 6 o'clock in tho morning till near 9 every night, ir tho week, was allowed one evening in the week and a Sunday afternoon in the fortnight, and when I got my holiday onco in the year my wages were kept off me. During those four years I never once got the offer to go to church on a Sunday morning. But wo poor girls do not need anything in the way of religion to help and cheer us on our way through life, so that, did not matter. And never in those years was I allowed one privilege that would not have been granted to a girl who was quite incompetent. To show that I had been a: capable servant that same mistress could tell my successors that I could do the work of two of them, yet she could not condescend to he a little bit more gracious and encourage one who might have stayed with her for a very mneii longer period, and could have recommended (he situation to others when she did leave. Now I am sure yen will agree, with me when I say that there would not be such a scarcity of servants if a girl were .treated as if she were really a human being, and not a machine which is wound up on Monday morning and supposed to keep going till the following Monday without ever feeline tired and needing a little sunshine now and again just as much as the mistress whom she serves.— I am, ete., Hxmriextia.