THE DOMESTIC SERVICE DIFFICULTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2529, 3 September 1902, Page 62

THE DOMESTIC SERVICE DIFFICULTY.

By E. H. 11.

So far I have considered the question from the servant's side. But the complaints of the mist -esses are certainly not exaggerated. Judging from what I have witnessed myself, and what I have beard, I «hould say that a really clean, tidy girl who performs her work conscientiously is a treasure rarely to be met with. If I were in need of a s-ervant I should do my best to keep such a one when I had got her, even if she wer3 somewhat slow and ignorant of some branches of household work. No words are too strong to characterise the laziness, slovenliness, aiid wantof ordinary thought and common sense shown by many girls, who seem to expect to get high, wages for no work. Half the girls who go out are not really fit to be servants in any orderly home ; and when one sees the kind of home where some of them have grow n up. one ceases to wonder at what the girls are themselves. Unfortunately, however, the fact that a girl comes from a tidy, respectable home is no certain guarantee that she will prove an efficient servant. Not a few mothers hold that it is easier to do things themselves than to teach ther- daughters to do them, and so allow them to prow up careless and incompetent, unfit either to work for others or to manage households of their own. It is not only the well to-do and particular who find it hard to get servants to perform their work. The haid-working wife of the stiuggling settler finds the same difficulty in getting a girl to help her to milk the cows and mind the children, and reiterates the same complaints about the idleness and incapacity of the girl at last found. Now as to remedies. Additional immigration of respectable country girls from Europe has been proposed. This measure would probably be unpopular with a large section of our population ; but it would no doubt be of great use for a time, more especially to working farmers. Many of these have to see their wives slaving their lives away, sometimes to overwork their children also, on account of the difficulty of getting any reliable assistance with dairy or housework. On small holdings, especially in dairy-farming districts, the daughters of a family are fully employed at home till their marriage, and town girls will not work on farms — often could not do the work required if they did go. "I couJd get half a dozen women to marry mo if my wife died," said one such settler, "but I cannot get on 3 to help her with her work."

Colleges or houses to train young women in all kinds of domestic work are certainly needed. As before pointed" out, a large proportion of girls seeking employment have no knowledge of the woik they undertake to perform At such institutions girls could either stu ly domestic work generally or fit themselves for some special branch, as laundry woik or cooking. In towns, housewoik could be specialised and divided to some extent, and this would allow those undertaking it the privileges and immunities of the day woiker as distinct fiom the ordinary servant.

But in my opinion the main thing to do is to raise the status of domestic service — to put the servant, as such, on a level with other woikers. We must abolish the idea that thpre is anything lowering in "working a 5a 5 any kind of a domestic seivant. There ih vuch an idea <- l ill . in spite of the t3Tannies servants can exercise. Hundreds of girls of pood families and position, who have to work without having received any special training, mrst seek domestic employment. j They might get good wages and demand many privileges if they went out as servants ; but a feeling of false shame and a dread of losing their social position forbids thorn doing so. Thus they call themselves "lady helps," and accept yoor lower pay, and more work in exchange, for a foolish conventional distinction. Good servants may be unattainable, but "lady helps" of a kind are always plentiful. A short time ago. help being urgently needed by a small ' family in town, an advertisement for a general servant was put in the paper, and remained three days, without drawing a single response. Private inquiries for a girl likewise resulting in nothing, it occurred - is the £yivfirtk4t tlii£ % "ladx .rWtf.'_jr < "'*'*'

do the work required. An advertisement for one was accordingly inserted, and scarcely wa^ the morning paper out whea applicants for the position began to arrive. Half a dozen came that morning, and one wrote from a distance. Several more would no doubt have cone, but notice was left at the office of the paper that afternoon to tell inquirers that the place had been filltd. That none of the applicants were, in education or manna "3, strictly entitled to 1 called ladies makes the value attpchtd to the term "lady help" all the plainer. Tli3y wished to be "ladies."' and would have feared to lose all claim to be such by accepting a servant's situation. A real lady in need of work might possibly have ventured to do so, secure in the essentials of ladyhood, that are independent of externals. At the same time, on inquiry about rates of wages at a registry office, I wa-> told that good general servants were receiving from 10s to 13s and. In a few cases, 15« a week, lady helps from 6s upwards to 10s ; but the registry office keeper had never known of one receiving moie than 10s.

It is plain that though girls may not like housework, they do not attach any degradation to hou^work in itself. It would bt absurd were they to do so, since in the eolorfies the life of all married women but the richest must be mainly occupied by housework. It is the name of seivant that is disliked. We are familiarised witli the idoa. that a "servant"' must be below her mistress in station. Thus girls accept an uncomfortable anomalous position with, low pay rather than lose caste. The position of lady help is seldom satisfactory either to employed or employer. The .lady is obliged to take hor help out with her, and have her constantly with the family, when perhaps she would prefer not to have a stranger constantly present. She does, not like to as>k her to do anything rough or disagreeable : ]Krbaps she finds that the help is too delicate for much woik, and so still has the heavier duties to perform .herself. The lady help, on the other hand, finds that she can count on less leisure than a e-:-ivant. She must assist in entertaining visitors, must, perhaps, help with sewing and teaching the children. If a servant is kept she gets more holidays and higher pay than the help, and very likely the-e will be some ill-fesling between the two. Now, if the lady help had gone out as servant, her position would have been in every way preferable. I think most girls would be willing to dispense with the privilege of sitting ■« itb. the family in order to have more leisure. They could have their own friends, their afternoons and evenings out. There i? no particular hardship in sitting in a kitchen if i^ is neat and tastefully kept. Many well-to-do families use their kitchens as living and dinins? rooms to save time and labour. Most persons would be so glad to secure really competent, trustworthy, and lad3 T -likc girls t3iat they would do their utmost to make things pleasa-nt. In many cases such a girl would be made one of the family, as a lady /help ia now ; but by calling herself "servant" &lie would have accepted the fact that she was there to work — not for "a comfortable home." In wealthy families, where several servants are kept, a special sitting room should be a-ssigned to the workers ; but there are few New Zealand homes that would admit of this. Of course, where two or more were kept, they would have to be of the some class ; an educated and refined girl would not associate constantly wjtb. one of much inferior up-bringing. As to duties and treatment, details would be settled on the principle that her (the lady servant's) relations with her employers were business onps. She would no doubt be styled " Miss,"' and I don't see why ordinary servant girls at present should not be given the title if they prefer it. A shopgirl is addressed as "Miss,' and designated a "young lady,"' but she carries out her employer's order*. There is no connection between "keeping one's place " and a confession of personal inferiority. In England, great care is taken in the selection of a governness. She is required to be a lady, and is treated as such ; yet &he does not associate on equal terms with the family and guests. Her sphere is the schoolroom, and she dines with her charges, not ■with the grown-up members of the familyAs to wearing a cap, I imagine ladies would be far less, likely to object to this than the ordinary "slavey." Why should a hospital nurse's cap be a distinction to be proud of, and a servant's a badge of inferiority?

If household work were recognised as an honourable occupation, and training for it a recognised branch of technical education, certificates and diplomas would be issued to skilled workers here as in other callings, and all difficulties about dress got over by a recognised uniform.

I think that the sooner young women of fair education nnd position cease crowding the ranks of nurses and teachers, or trying to get places as lady help, and see what can be done with domestic seivice, the sooner will the servant difficulty be solved. Many would certainly be happier and healthier if engaged) iv household work than in teaching or sewing. The work of a teacher is far more trying to health, and most female teachers sent to country schools lead rougher, haider, nnd lonelier lives than any seivant in a good family could expenence. We should gain immensely all round by abandoning the idea that there is anything deiogatory in the position of a household seivant. It is just here that good character and good manners are essential. It matters little what are the manners and character of the women who make our clothes or wait on us in shops. But it matters greatly that members of a household, who enter into the daily lives of the family and influence the children, should be trustworthy and of refined manners. How much pleasanter would it be to have a sensible, efficient lady-like young -woman as assocate in one's work than a rough-mannered flighty girl, who cannot be trusted out of her mistress's sight! Children would gain immensely by the substitution of a higher class of servants. Few parents consider sufficiently what great influence for good or evil the sar.YftD.la tfoss^ Sfflfiifli 9SL |££S£

on their children. Even those who, have no special charge of the children must influence them to some extent. But a nurse has the physical and moral well-being of yoifng children absolutely at her mercyl

Yet many well-to-do people think any young girl, of whom they know nothing positively bad, will do to nurse the baby

and take the elder children out walking. They will hire any child just over school

age, and ,think 5s a week ample pay, becausi the work is "not hard,"' and "any one can watch children." The earliest years , of life are the most impressionable, and j surely parents should strive that the impiessions made then be such as they would wish to be lasting. Instead of a" nursegirl's position being the lowest, it should j be the highest, and if a mother is not satisfied that her servant can be absolutely trusted with the children, she should devote herself to their care, and leave the girl to other tasks where blunders can tio less harm.

The entry of girls from the upper classes into domestic service would increase the , supply of good servants — first, dhectly by ' their own presence ; next, indirectly by j increasing the popularity of the work ' among respectable girls somewhat lower in society. Artisans' and tradesmen's daugh- ! ters could no longer consider it beneatli i them to become servants when they saw ' the lawyer's or clergyman's daughters en« 1 gaging themselves as cooks and housemaids.

But there would be no fear of an over-

' supply. The worthless servants, who now render their mistress's lives a bin den, would, be driven to seek other work, or content themselves with the bad mistresses whom no good servant would put up with. Some would have to go into the country- and condescend to make themselves useful to the overworked farmers' wives, who thus would ' share in the general benefit. , Needless to say, a young woman snouldi, . before undertaking a. place. con c ider what the duties are. and whether she is physically equal to them. Doubtless one reason why so many seek the podtior of lady help is because they luck the strength or energy for the rougher kinds of wort. There are, however, plenty of young women quite capable of doing all ordinary housework, under proper conditions, without undue fatigue. The less robust should seek the lighter position*. All kinds of laboursaving appliances should be employed, aud | in building a house a principal object should be to minimise the v. ork of the i female inmates. The world moves fast now, and social conventions are rapidly changing. Not so long ago trade was considered quite below a«3 r one claiming to be a, gentleman. Now I it is common to hear of members of the

English aristocracy engaging in trade. I &o not think it will be haid to revolutionise the idea of domestic seivice. As a beginning, we want some women in good positions to make it known that they prefer girls of a superior class, and that they are willing to pa-y them well, and to endea/vour to make their lives pleasant. We want also educated girls to take good places as domestic servants, respecting themselves and their work, and prepared to encounter the few disagreeables that may fall to their lot as pioneers.

To ensure publication in the forthcoming issue eltrrs should reich the Witness ojfi.ee if possible c» Saturday niyht, but on no account later than Monday iqht

VOT Descriptions of balls, <fee, mutt be endortcd by either the Witness corrtspondent for the district or by the secretanj to theball cmnmittre. The MS of any corretpondentg icho da not comply with this rule will bt sent to the secretary for endorsement prior to pearing.—EMUMLIKH

ODDFELLOWS' SOCIAL. AT MILTON.

Dear Emmeline,— We had a delightful evening at the Skating Rink on -Friday, when the members of the Loyal Milton Lodge held • v ~<r fourth annual social. The hall was a, sigkb to be remembered, it was to be<i.uuiuiiy v -<jrated — in fact, I have never before seen such » good effect secured in the rink. On entering the main hall it wus noticed that two arches had been erected, and that the platform for the musicians had been hung round with nags and relieved with evergreens, producing a fine effect. The walls and ceiling were a forest of greenery, and the lodge's mottoes and other ornaments were everywhere conspicuous, while from the rafters hung lines of multi-coloured chains, fa-iry lamps, Chinese lanterna, and flags of all descriptions. That the ball -was the event of the season 1 have no doubt ; and the 170 couples who were present seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves from the Grand March right on until 8 a.m. Of the music I cannot speak too highly. Messrs Flint (violin), Brundell (clarionet), and Yates (piano), of Dunedin, satisfied the most exacting. Mrs Bewley supplied the refreshments, of which there was plenty, and to spare, and though at times, as will always happen, there was s. dearth of fare, the committee worked hard to look after their guests. The marshal of the Grand March was P.G. Bro. J. Caul, and the M.C.'s were P.G. Bro. W. Alcock and Bro. R. Bowie, each of whom did his duties quickly and well The floor also was all that a. dancer could desire. During the evening speeches were delivered by P.S. Bro. Brownlce (on behalf of the Milton Lodge), welcoming the visitors, and by representatives from the Hand and Heart Lodge (Dunedin), Loyal Dalton (Balclutho), and the local lodges, Courts Bruce and Dickson, and the Hibernian Lodge. The committee who were responsible ior the management of the social aie as follows:— Messrs J. Paul, W. Alcock, R. Bowie, J. Gtbv, R. Brady, E. J*an.soine, A. Jones, J. Wright, J. Hagen, Jno. Brcck (treasurer). Mid C. L. Grant (secretary). I append a. short list of the most prominent dresses, which no doubt will be of interest to your readers : — Miss M. Caescrley, heliotrope satin bodice and white skirt; Miss L. Dickson, pale blue silk blouse and white skirt ; Miss M. Wilson, cream satin bodice and skirt; Misa Henderson (Mirburn), cream figured lustre; Miss White, pink silk dress relieved with lace, and train ; Miss Bannatyne, cream eilk blouse, sequin trimming, and white skirt; Miss Dickeon, lavender silk bodice and blick skirt ; Miss X Moloney, sea-green nun's -veiling and swa-ns-down trimming; Misß Wells (Dunedin), ereara Japanese silk dress with train ; Miss M'William, black eilk dress, sequin trimming; Miss Murray, grey silk dross, /nerveilleux trimming ; Misses Drinnan (2), cream silk dresses; Misa Crosby (Dunedin), pale green silk dress ; Misses Falconer (2), cream satin dresses; Miss Gavin, yellow silk blouse, cream skirt. There were^ of course, a lot of other pretty costumes, but space, I know, would not permit a full list.— Ivr.