TRAINING OF WOMEN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18991, 12 October 1923, Page 10

TRAINING OF WOMEN.

LONELY DOMESTIC SERVAN'I. The second interim report of the Central Committee on Women's Training- and Employment, reviewed the position up to the end of last year. The committee was originally appointed at the outbreak of war to administer the Queen's Work for Women Fund, but was reconstituted in January, 1920, ■ "to consider, devise, and carry out special schemes of work and I raining for women unemployed or women whose earning capacities and opportunities have been injuriously affected as the result if conditions arising out of the war." The committee had in hand a balance of £94,330, residue of t.he Queen's Work for Women Fund, and the National Relief Fund allocated to Ihem a further sum of £518,000. These funds were mainly employed for the training of women for suitable peace-time occupations under scholarships scheme, homecrafts scheme, domestic outfits scheme, and home makers' scheme. Most of the students obtained posts after training. _ It was found that the majority also remained in their posts, some reported that they had been given promotion, and others that they had obtained hotter positions. Ihe. homecrafts centres was a fresh development of the committee's work, owinnto depression in trade, which started m the latter part of 1920 and became steadily ; more marked in its effect. The sum o'f money allocated bv the committee for this I new development was £150.000, and thpy | nveived in addition £50,000 from the I Ministry of Labour, the residue of the j Women's Training Branch Vote, and later , a further grant of £SO,CfIO. I Investigation into ihe previous occupaj tions of women entering the homecraft , courses revealed that the recruits for trainj ing were mninlv obtained l»om factory I workers, needle trade workers, clerks, and j shop assistants. In spito of careful 'selection, the fact that a certain number of trainees were suspended from training owing to unsuitaliility, demonstrated to the committee that the capacity for domestic work" is not necessarily a "latent instinct in women. The assumption commonly held that domestic service is an occupation which can be followed by overv unemployed able-bodied woman was not borne out by their experience. A oerusni of many hundreds of letters received made il clear to the committee that loneliness which especially in small households is apparently inseparable from resident domestic service, is the difficulty which the women find if hardest to overcome. Those who were able to overcome it and remain in domestic work for at least three months are. in the majority of cases, permanent recruits to ihe occupation. MISTRESS AND MAID. In dealing with this problem the committee express their appreciation of the part played by the majority of employers. Many mistresses realised that the women had only had a very short preparation for domestic work, and that they could in no sense be considered to be experienced workers, and they frequently made generous allowances for the timidity and inexperience which was often' intensified through nervousness during the first few days in the new occunatio'n. Many mistresses showed sympathy and understanding of the home sickness and loneliness which has proved itself to be so real anobstuclc to these women, and arranged thai their new servants should be given oppor- ) {unities for social intercourse. "A studv of the evidence." continues the report, ''has convinced the committee that the personal element is ,i dominating factor in the_ domestic service problem, and that it is in itself a psychological problem rather than merely a question of demand and supply." The sum of £IO.OOO was allocated for the domestic outfits scheme, and up to the end of last December 2533 outfits had been p ro - | vided, at an average cost of £3 12s 3d. Of the total number of women who had entered resident domestic service by this means 89.3 per cent, had remained in this occupation. In connection with the home makers' scheme. 24 centres had been set up, the cost of which _ was borne entirely by the Central Committee. Although it was not anticipated that any direct effect upon women's employment would result from the courses, nevertheless in several of the centres from 25 v>er cent, to 30 per cent, of the women obtained some domostinoccupation at the end of the training, and were thus enabled to find regular employment. Early in 1922 the committee, with the prospect of their funds coming to an end and having regard to the acute industrial distress still rife, decided to concentrate upon the home crafts and home markers' courses, and the work in connection with llie.-c will conl imie so long as the committee are able to arrange new courses.