MISS GRACE NEILI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2872, 24 March 1909, Page 25

MISS GRACE NEILI.

LACK OF SERVANTS IN THE UNITED STATES. GETTING OVER THE DIFFICULTY. (From Our Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, March 16. Mrs Grace Neil], formerly an inspector under the Hospitals arid Charitable Aid Act, who left to go aaid live with her son in America some years ago, has returned to New Zealand. In conversation with a Times interviewer she said she spent most of the time in Mont-ana. That State, it appears, shares one problem with New Zealand. The domestic help difficulty is as great there as it is here. The genius of the American nation, however, is disserting . itself in this direction, and many inventions are brought forward to save labour in the house. Electric appliances are installed in all well-equipped homee. Nearly every house that cam claim to be supplied with " modern conveniences," for ir.Ptan-ce, has electric irons and electric washing machines. Hot air is supplied from a central plant through mains, and is turned on by means of a register in ; the same- way as gas is turned on to houses. There. are shoe shining establishments, where boots are cleaned) by electricity. The automatic telephone is in high demand. It has abolished the telephone girl. A subscriber can connect direct with the house of a friend without going through the formality of ringing up tha "-'change." The only occasion when an intermediary is needed is when there is a hitch and things are not working smoothly. Then *• No. 93 — trouble- is called up, the nature of the hitch is explained, and " trouble " sends a man along to put things right. Again, the "information bureau" attached to the system takes high rank amongst America's modern devices. If the subscriber interested in the result of a big football match, an athletic championship, a horse race, or a presidential election, Of he wishes to know the time of arrival or departure of a train, he Tings up the bureau, audi the information, if it is in the bounds of reasonableness, is £upplied at once. The domestic help difficulty is driving many families in America to live in apartment houses. Suites of rooms are hired, and the families live there surrounded by all the conveniences that human ingenuity can devise. In one apartment house in Butte there are 50 or 60 families holding suites ranging from two rooms to five or six. Helps demand good wages, and have no trouble in getting them. In one instance in Pasadena girls did not come forward when as much as £3 to £10 a month was offered them.