THE DOMESTIC SERVICE D&mCULTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2528, 27 August 1902, Page 62

THE DOMESTIC SERVICE D&mCULTY.

By E. H.

Th.- dii'i' uiiv of proem ing Miil ibli» a^-i'-t-Pl c in the hou«eb/>ld i K certainly oup of the mo-t sriiou-B drawbacks of modem donn«tiv. lr'o; and it i" a difficuhj- that i» evei and cvci} where increasing. Fiom <'U (juirtcrs vr? heir the same complaint. T\e S'areUy of good seivant:* is naiuially u r icate^t m new countue", sucli as New Zi ilanrt and Australia ; but the same cry i- he.ud in f'njland There it ih common

ro aririign the modern system of popular clvi ituiii a- the cusp of the evil! The I ;\\er di^es are "lifted out of their proper «l>h- it-," '"given ideas above their station," "made discontented with manual work," and so fortll^ JPjKicle gjjjb. int iks. xaod qW

days when the mass of the working classes did not know how to read and write, or krew little more, but furnished good and trustworthy servants who were content to remain a long time in one situation.

Those who talk thus appear quietly to assume that the lower classes are to exist for the benefit of the higher, and are to remain uninstructed and unambitious solely that they may be willing to work hard at scanty wages for their betters.

In so far as the scarcity of domestic servants is an index to a ri-se in the position of those oidinarily known a<= the "'working class*"?,'' it is surely a cause for rejoicing rath^i than lamentation, even though the improvement may be material ra-ther than monl. In the colonies, where line*: of social d.'marcation are much le c s pain, and where democratic ideals prevail, we seldom hear this class bias given voice to. though it is not unknown even here. It is plain, howevei. that ihe difficulty is not one affecting the upper classes only. Ti>e small faim&r or the artisan finds it as hard to prrcurs assistance for his overwrought wife as the ruuholder or professional man for hi-s\

That the evil is a real and heavy one nj one can gainsay. Domestic: life is dejjiived of it> r>r;i{ort aud beauty. Too «.ften the wife and mother is reduced to a mere dradge. Bhs spands her life in an unceasing round cf toil, often working fur beyond -her strength. She has little leisure fi-r socuu intercom «c, r.one for mental im-i/j-cvcnient and keeping up with the times. Her rirves, and consequently her spirits end temper, suffer from overstrain ; thus the hazmonv of the home is injured, and she 10--es her children'^ respect and affection. She has not time really to bring up her children properly ; it is as much as she can do to attend to their physical needs and get through tha round of housework. t-'he has neither leisure nor spirit to be the companion and helpmeet of her husband. Whib "he unselfishly strives to do her best for her children and to give them the full advantage? of th" higher education of the d.iy, she falls bshind them in meotal culU:re and knowledge of current interests. She relieves her girls from housework that they may attend to their studies and have time for amusement. Avith the reward, too often, that they secretly despise her, and consider it natural that- she should be working in the kifchen while they are enjoying themselves.

In order that a mother should keep her proper me mi r 3 of authority and consideration, she should show herself wiser than lit children; oble to tsach and guide them wh-En young, and to take intelb'gent interest in their pursuits as they grow up. She cannot do this- when her energies are exhausted, her time filled, and her temper sou ted by overwork and worry.

Most such womfn could keep a servant and ppy her fair wages — perhaps at the cost of some pinching in other directions — if ihev found one a leal help. Every now and then, perhaps in times of ill-health or extra press of work, they try keeping a girl, and are often so sickened by the experiment that they prefer to do everything- themselve=! rather than have a large additional expense and tenfold worry in return for a vary tiifling saving of labour. Everywhere one sees the women who are compel led, probably because of young children, to keep a girl enwing the more fortunate ones who can manage the work themselves. "Ah, it is a treat to go into your kitchen ; you have no one to make a nrnddle. Now. I am just afraid to look into anything ; I have to shut my eyes and let things go on," etc.

Why are servants so scarce, and why. when got. are they often so useless? The answer to the second question is contained in that to the fir-t. Domestic service is rot popul.tr among well-brought-up and intelligent TGung women. Thus th.c supply is mainly drawn from the ignorant and Itzv, who can no more be expected to be good at hotisework than at anything else. Why, then, is domestic service regarded with so little favour? Housework in itself compares favourably with most other feminine occupations. It is, or should bp, healthy; it is comparatively easy, and not taxing to the bruin or temper. The remuneration is certainly good when compared with that of nurses, private governesses, and public school tcacheis — especially when we consider that ifc reouires no txpensive preparatory training, and that borrd and lodging are included. A gill placed in a good home is safer, physically and morally, than one working in a shop or factory ; while domestic service foims the best- of preparations for the duties thai, will hereafter fall to most girls a« mistretfss of households of their own. We may concede all this, and yet see that much remains to ba said on the other side For mv own part, if I had been compelled to choose between domestic service and almost any kind of work done by the day, I should have chosen the h-tter. The things making domestic service in general undesirable depend, first, on the rature of the work itself; second, on want of consideration and sympathy on the part of the mistrssses. The hours must necessarily be longer than in mo«t other occupations. Few w omen would consider it worth while to k^ep a servant if they had to get up first in th-e morning to light the fire and start the day* work. Then the servant must be on hand in the evening, that the mistress njciv devote htr^elf to her husband and children or to social engagements. I do not think th.'t an eitrht-hours' day will ever I,e practicable for the geneiahty of female '■(■rvant^ — certainly not for those living with the family. "Most- certaiuly the workpiu hour--- of most bnsv housewives are piv tidily unlimited, an] an assistant in thp hou><» cannot -expect to escape from the conditions of household work. But it mighb well be arranged for servants to have much more free time than they usually or tain. Apart from their afternoons and evenings out, they might well have an hour or two in the afternoons to rest or oi;cnpy themselves with book or pewing, without other obligations than those of keeping up the fire and answering the door. Then, evening work should not, except ii} <a£ft.fi£ cii^y^^u^be ji£o_]^^^ h^vofid_

clearing up after the evening meal. It is, however, scarcely possible that one living in another person's house can Lave so much ireedoni as at home or fn lodgings. Then many girls dislike being always at the beck and call of another woman In all employruents rules have to be obeyed and orders carried out, but in most others the authority is more regular and mechanical. Mistresses should put themselves in a servant's place; make their wishes clearly known, find fault when they must, but avoid nagging and recrimination. They should remember that a servant is not a working machine, but a human beiug. with a right to a life of her owu apart from *he work she is paid for. This brings one to tha faults of the mistresses which help to make service disliked. Many, though they would give anything for a good servant, do not? know how to treat her when found, nor how to bear wilh and try to improve one who is incompetent but willing to learn. I have known some inisLres.ses who nagged so perpetually at their girls that I wondered the latter stayed with them for as many hours as they did weeks. One I have witnessed d «playing the extremely bad manners of talking at her girl before visitors, and denouncing her delinquencies to them within her hearing.

Then some look on a girl as a kind of machine, wound up to work perpetually from getting up to going to bed. With such a mistress a girl has no encouragement^ to get through her work briskly, for she' is not allowed to reap any regard for lier■snei'gy. .Many mLstresfces. appear quite un-. able to nut \ "themselves in their servants'

places. I knew one lady very much put out because her girl wished to leave her in order to attend on her mother, who was seriously ill. There was nothing to make it a special hardship fop the iady to have to part wnh the girl just then; but she ri<-ver appeared to consider what she would hive wished from her own daughter in, similar circumstances. Then many misti esses do not take any trouble to see that their servants have comfortable, wellfurnished bedrooms, nor that the kitchen m which they have to spend mb&t of their time is cheerful and airy, nor that sufficient time is allowed them to take their meals in comfort. Of course the most comfortless of kitchens and servants' bediooms are tidier and more comfortable than the homes to which some girls in service have been accustomed ; but we need to make service attractive to a superior class of ffirls. and to elevate and refine the rougher specimens.

(To be continued.)

To eiun/re pubficution in the forlhcvmxnq issue etters should rench the Witness ofi<x if possible on Saturday night, but on no account later 'than Monday t(j?it

HW- Descriptions of ballg, Ac, munt b& endorsed by either the Witiirgs con- sjwndant /or the district or by the secretary to the ball committee Fhe 218 of any correspondents v>ho do not comply idth thin rule toi'll ba se>it to the secretary for endorsement prior to ptaring.—EM UELIXE

SOCIAL AT MACRAES.

Dear Eninielme,— A social was held in Mac-" iae3 School on the 15lh inst. to welcome back Trooper W. Hay, of the Seventh Contingent. A successful concert was followed by a dance, at which I noticed the following costumes: Mrs Cowan, black, relieved wi*V> wbi>» sntra ; Mrs Sheeny, navy blue; Mrs M'Fadyen, black; Mrs Callery, black; Jlrs Elsoni, biac^Mrs Spain, black; Mis Mills, blue blouse and black skirt; Mrs O' Cancel], cream; Mrs A. Phelan., white blouse and black skirt; Mrs W. G. Griffen, sage green, with whit© vest; Mrs Eggers, cream silk voile ; Mrs J. Phelan, white lustre; Mrs Cockerel], green velvet blouse and black skirt ; Miss Hayes, blue floral muslin, blcttae and black skirt , Miss Hay, black velvet and point laco; Miss Bell, navy blue; Miss Nolan, light blouse and c!?rk skirt; Miss Callery, black, trimmed with blue siJk; Mis 3 Chalrcers, white pique ; Mi&s i'lynn, red ; Miss Phc-lan, white, trimmed with green; Mi3S Griffiths, dark green; Miss M. Simpson, blue and white ; Miss Gifford, black and white silk blouse; Miß3 E. Simpson, dove grey, trimmed! with white; Misa Harcns, light blouse and dark skirt; Misu M'Gill, white muslin over yellow 6i'k; Mjss Mills, white mualm over pink; Miss Aldridge, light blouse »nd dark skirt. Music was supplied by Mrs Phelan (piano), Messrs Gnffin and Fraser (violin), and Mr E-. Mills made an efficient M.C — Angelina.

BALL A.T QUARRY HILL 3.

Dear Emmeliuc, — A most enjoyable ball waa given by Mr and Mrs W. O. Duthie in the Quarry Hills School o:i the 22nd August. It was a bcaufeiful night, and guests were present from far and near. The -gathering was estimated to have been the largest ever assembled in Quarry Hills. During the eveiuug short speeches were delivered by Messrs Coster and Robson, and a vote of" thanks and three hearty cheers were given for Mr and Mrs Djithia and family. lir JJulhie briefly responded. Songf were rendered by Misses A. Crosbie, M. (ircg and M. Duthie, and Messrs Rcss, MacDonald, Macintosh (2), and Leith. ExceJJenti music was supplied by Mr Mac Donald, assisted by Mr Coster, and Mr "W. Crosbie made a most efficient M.C. The ball broke up at daylight, the gnesU putting their final energies into the singins of "Aiild iarg syne." Amongst the married ladies I noticed Mrs Duthie, Mrs Cto-I>io, Mrs M'Pherson, Mrs Gregg, Mrs M'Manus. Mrs Shields, Mrs Lamb, Mra Brown-, Mr 3 Shank I and, and Mr 6 Hansen. Amongst the dancers were Miss Crosbie, wearing a maroon bodice trimmed with white satin, and black skirt; Miss Duthie, pale greeni blouse, black lustre skirt; Miss Macintosh, dark blue velvet blouse, black skirt; Mias Kirktand, white dress; Miss Blair, black dress, trimmed with pink silk; Miss M'Ewan, red velvet blouse, black skirt; Miss M Duthie, black lustre dress, trimmed with white sillc and lace; Miss A. Crosbie blue blouse, trimmed with white, block skirt; Miss ii. Croabie, maioon bodice, dark skirt; Miss Gre"g light Jjlcuse, maroon skirt; Mrs Gore, trrey° dress; Mrs Paddon, pink blouse dark skirt; Miss G. Duthie, white dress; Miss J. Duthie, cream silk dress, Miss M" Donald, pink blouse, dark skirt: Miss Peterson white blouse, dark skirt; Miss Robson, white bouse, b!ue nkirt; M.ss M. M'Dou^ld, white blouse, black skirt.— Veha

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