The Servant Girl Problem.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XIII, Issue 1081, 27 March 1903, Page 2

The Servant Girl Problem.

The urgent need for the establishment of training classes for servants, where they may be instructed in and qualified to undertake the yarious duties they may be called upon to perform as domestics, is emphasised by a writer in. a recent issue of the - Bulletin, who favours the formation of a Domestic Servants' Union! The writer says:—l have employecj servant girls, and I knqw their ways ; and I have been a seryant girl, and know that side, * too. In six weeks I lived in six houses as a "general," selecting six typos of mistresses. In one house—rthat of i a titled Australian of repute and i style—the inferiorsWWye8ye constantly endeavouring to get some of their back pay; and the food was wretched. In another place where fish supplied the Friday's dinner, . I was given one sardine for rain<\ . Next came.'a "Christian household," in which we had abundant spiritual diet, but-very short commons otherwise. Here the kitchen - girl worked for her clothes only. Never work for a " highrdass Christian family," the female head of which is generally a crt'tish old woman who thinks a 1 girl is not respectable who toils for her Jiving My other, places, notably a labour- ■ oi-'s home, w«ro excellent. 'Good food, a good bed, and reasonable wages. ' On the other side, I have employed girls at"-12a per week who were absolutely useless ; and in all my experience ,of helps 'I have only kngsvn abqu.t a doseq who could wash dishes cle&nly. I've hqiMi liandicanp'-d in tKo'b'i^h .' with a large house,-hungry men, a sick patumt,,and a woman-servant, who for. six. weeks wore one pair of unwashed hose; and couldn't boi! potatoes without burning them. I have had a cook who threatened to brain me because ]> objected tQ h"v boiling-a-te'-raeie-^udding \n tbe same pot as the.corned mutton amu* potatoes. IVnt'it possible to form' a Domestic Servants' Union, protective of both employer and employee a_mi cpiitroliedhy competent • leaders, possessing' the"' pbw'er" qf disqualifying a member who is . proven to bo a thief; also tho girl who is unduly insolent to her employer or incapable of fulfilling duties for which she engages on tho strength of si reference. The Union 1 should fix a st-indard wage ' for aaj3a,u.lf 4 generals., .laundresses housemaids, etc, an-1 endeavour to pivvent the " .scabbing " of " lady-! helps," who " slish ' for 5s or 6s a_^ week. It should,.fix another wage for tho weaker ones, who require" light pUces :' and make it a s^rii^ rule that nV'servan't .shoulcl worlf for unrenjuherative wages, shall \ sie^p its comfortless room, or re-*;;" ceive more prayers than, food. *. ■ - -