TOILERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD.

Otago Witness, Issue 1903, 24 July 1890, Page 37

TOILERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD.

ANOTHER HOME MISTRESS. I have much pleasure in inserting this lady's letter. Dbar Aliob,— l am mnoh interested in the discussion ia your page on " Toilers of the Household." I came out from Home about four years ago, and have been mistress of a household ever since. I have not had occasion to change often, so have not a very large experience of colonial servants, but I think some of them are quite as good servants as those at Home. They are more independent, but if they have a good miatresß they are quite as respectful and obliging as Home servants. I think mistresses expect too much from their servants, and quite forget that they are as liable to aches and pains as any one else ; but I don't see that they are any freer from tronblo than we are, and they deserve some consideration on that account, especially when we remember that they aro away from all their friends, and have to bear their burdens quite alone.— l am, &c, Amy. Hawke'B Bay, July 11. Dbab Alice,— l would like to ask the ladies who expect their servants to wear caps what is their reason ? There »re healthy, strong, c msciontious, h<*rd working girls whe •"ould leave their homes and make valuable domestics, but who would not wear caps on any consideration. In my opii.ion these ladies might as well ask the teacher to wear a book on his head or the blacksmith a horseshoe, and so on with every trr.de. All that can bo said in Its favour is that it was a custom in th'i Old Country ; but like every other barbarous custom we ought to fight to get it done away with. So far bs my knowledge goes the colonials intend being more on a footing with employers than in the Old Country. I always understood that the creed of the colonial wbb that Jack was as good sib his matter, and oftbimes better.— Yours, &0., An Employeb of Laboue. Cambrians, July 7. Dear Alice,— l do sincerely hope something will bedo"e to get us our ijust'rightH, then you will ccc that Rirls, iusteadof doing their best to shun domestic Bervioe will If nnxiouo to obtain sit untions, I exclaim with " Betsy," "How long, O Lord, befora some noble-miuded ladies and gentlemen- for their name ii legion— will come to tho rescue and plead our cause ?" I should like to say a word to " Lizzie," bb I am quite [at aJIoBS to uudersfcand.ber wanting Mary to mend the brokon chair in the kitchen. I have had several placeß, boili at Homo and in the colonies, but never in all my life before have I hwrd of a girl being engaged as carpenter or cabinetmaker, Dear Alice, I have not ;taken up too much of your valuable space with my letter. I thank you very much f-ir the kind consideration youare showing to domestic) servants, and if wo are fortunate enough to derive the desired benefit fromja union, thanksfin the'flrßfc place will be due to you for your liberal support —Yours, &c, E. L. 0. July 15.

[I have to thank " B. L. 0." for her kind remarks. £ has afforded me very great pleasure to be able to place space at the disposal of thoso interested, and to give every assistance in my power to the free discussion of the question. At the same time I have no desire to monopolise credit which ia due to our esteemed correspondent "N G.," to whose efforts the movement may, in all fairness, be attributed. It is now a considerable time since" N. ft."- herself a mistress, if I mistake not— took up the cause of the servant girls in a temperate and altogether unexcep tionable letter of considerable length. The time for discussion had, however, apparently not arrived, for the matter rested there till in the Witness of the Ist May last, "N. G.," nothing daunted by her previous want of success, returned to the subject, and this time with gratifying results, as the discussion has since been kept up steadily both in this page and in the columns of the Dunedin dailies, with whxt result my readers already know. " E. L. 0." will observe that I have deleted her remarks on " Materfamilias'" letter, as I think tbe discussion ou that particular phase of the question has gone quite far enough.— Amok.]