DEARTH OF FEMALE DOMESTICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14431, 26 January 1909, Page 2

DEARTH OF FEMALE DOMESTICS

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. IMMIGRATION ~UTENT WANTED. (Pkr United Pkkss Association-.). CIIRISTCIIDRCir. .January 25. A deputation from the Canterbury Sbeepov.ncrs' Union, consisting of Messrs Waller Macfarlane. D. J). Mad'ai'lanc, Wilfrid Hall, and I'. i\. I.ahatt (secretary), waited on the Hon. G. Fowlds this morning in regard to the shortage of female domestic, servants.

Mr Walter Macfarlane said (hat. for years past there had been ii great shortage, not only of domestic servants, but. of female labour of all classes. Instead of the position improving, it had become more unsatisfactory every year. A sufficient number of women, although there were plenty of men, were not coming to the Dominion. The matter was one which affected all classes of the community, and more especially those in the country districts. Girls hud n grout objection to going out into tbe backblocks, and tbe cities were not nearly so badly off. According to census returns there was a preponderance of 54,000 males over females in New '/.calami. In Uritain females preponderated to the number of a million and a-quarter. From that it would appear as though they should be able to draw upon lirilain for domestics. The speaker had heard of a factory the machinery of which was standing idle on account of the dearth of female labour. The Minister: Have you any special plan whereby the shortage can be overcome ?

Mr Miicfai'lanc replied that the Government was heljiing in a small way, but it could assist more by sending an immigration agent lo Britain. Many of the immigrants coming hero were not of it suitable class, and should bo sent back. Even wail's and strays came out. Jl' an agent went Home ho could select .suitable girls from the country districts. The employers would have to do their share by advancing the passage money if they could secure the right class ot labour. The agent, should travel through Britain, and possibly through parts ot the Continent as well, and a depot should bo provided here to keep the girls until they were sent to their destination. The main thing was to get the suitable kind of persons to come out.

Mr D. D. itacl'arlane said the female labour agents were only able to supply a third of the demand. Many people did not make application for servants because they knew it was hopeless. Many ladies in Hie country had got into a perfectly hopeless slate, and were enduring a condition of white slavery. Their constitutions were mined, and they did not dare to add to their domestic responsibilities. As a result the birth rate was diminishing instead of increasing. In the towns there was some hope, but in the country there was not. The rich people were not affected so much. It was the class that could only employ one servant and could not afford lo pay high wages. Tile ladies of Huwke's Jiay had brought out girls at their own expense, but in some respects this system was not satisfactory, as after the employers had gone lo all the expense of bringing domc.ilics out (hey left and went lo .somebody else. The Sheep, owners' Union thought of doing something like that, but did not care to overlap upon the t.loveriuncnt's organisation. It recognised that the Government had done some good at Home, but it had not gone far enough. The present tests imposed at Home (certilicafcs from a clergyman and a doctor) were not sufficient. Means should be taken to see that the girls were capable of doing what they said Ihcy could do. An agent sent Home by the Government would see that only capable girls were sent mil. Danish, Swedish) German, and French girls might also be secured. The matter was one that affected the settlement of the land. Women as well as men were necessary to make settlement satisfactory. H a man could not get a wife, there was no inducement for him to go away from the

The Minister said no doubt there was a large unsatisfied demand for female domestics in New Zealand, and the Government was anxious to assist in any reasonable way. The class they had been gelling was 'fully satisfactory, but the trouble was that it was not sufficiently numerous. One great difficulty in sending an agent Home to engage labour was the liability it cast upon the Government to provide employment for those who came. For that reason he would like to see an extension of the Hitv/ke's Bay system, whereby girls were selected and sent out by the British Women's Emigration Association. That body had belter means for getting into touch with the right class than any organisation of the High Commissioner. The difficulty of girls not staying in their situations was one that everybody had to face. Mostcountries set their face against contract labour. He was fully conscious of the need for gelling a larger number of women to come out. and also for getting the best, class selected. He would have the mailer very carefully considered, and see what could be done. He was not sanguine as to the appointment of an agent to go Home, however. They must remember, also, that the dearth of domestics was being felt at Home as well. He >vonld be pleased to co-operate with the body the deputation represented in any reasonable, way, and if there was any proposal l-o form an association on the. Ifawke's Bay lines, he would be glad to extend the same facilities to it.

Sir Walter Slacl'arlane said that as from 2000 to 2000 domestics could be placed immediately he did not see that the Government would incur any liability in appointing an agent and getting the girls selected and sent out.

The 'Minister promised to confer with the Minister of Labour, with the idea if possible, of evolving some satisfactory scheme to overcome the difficulty.