MARY ANN AND THE MISSUS.

Observer, Volume XL, Issue 8, 25 October 1919, Page 3

MARY ANN AND THE MISSUS.

The Missus and Mary Ann. ENGLAND, in the thoughts of many New Zealand ladies, is the place where domestic servants are bred. New Zealand is a country where domestic service is not considered a very nice business for New Zealand women to tackle— so Mother generally does it on her own. It doesn't seem to be degrading to her, although it is not at all the kind of thing for her to tackle before she's wed.

A few years ago—before the Avar — New Zealand ladies imported a couple of cargoes of British women servants, and the Press looked over them as it might look over a cargo of imported merinos, and the Labour Department coughed in a lordly manner, and said, "They are a very good type of woman." The very good type of woman became domestic servants for as short a time as possible, and found that they were ju.st as much required in the matrimonial world as if they had had the inestimable privilege of being born in this country. In fact, you couldn't prevent Mary Ann from Little Ditchington becoming a New Zealander with all the New Zealand girl's dislike to working for another woman in another woman's house.

There is a recrudescence of despair among New Zealand women at their inability to get domestic servants, and, of course, when anybody is in despair in this country lie or she flies to the Government. The latest suggestion is that the Government shall give assisted passages to British girls who are willing to become servants iii New Zealand, although there are no new attempts to persuade New Zealand girls to become servants.

While the New Zealand young lady long ago decided that domestic service is too humble a service for her, her British sister has been thinking the same thing, too, and during the war, and since, the position has been as acute in the Old Country as in this young one. The rich, of course, find few difficulties, mainly one supposes, because the position of a servant in, say, the family of a millionaire duke is equal in comfort to the position of an imported girl in the family of a working New Zealand farmer, but in the average mid-dle-class family at Home the dearth of Mary Anns is as noticeable as the dearth "of Mary Anns in this favoured land.

New Zealand is: not permitted to avail herself of the unlimited help that might be had from countries containing dark people, so that Mother slaves along on her own unassisted by a coolie house-boy or a coloured nurse girl. Few British women nowadays become serving girls because their mothers were serving girls, just as few girls wear Blucher boots and rough clothes because ma used to turn out that way. Of course, everybody blames the "independence" of the modern girl who would rather earn thirty-five shillings in factory than fifteen shillings in a home, and the only possible inducement that can be offered to Mary Ann in solution of the problem is to give her as much for domestic work as she could get for any of the innumerable jobs shrieking out for women to do them. _ * . * *

Quite happily the days of the twenty-four hours a day "slavey" are over, and the world no longer knows the child who sold herself, body and soul, to a missus for two and ninepence a week. You've heard all about courses in domestic science for girls as an inducement to be domestic servants, all about the raising

of the status of household girls to that of a profession, but none of these glittering inducements increases the swarm of girls aching to take domestic service either in old countries or in new ones.

What's the cure? There, isn't one, but no doubt if the Government offers to pay the passages of British girls to this country they will consent to become domestic servants until Mr. Right turns up and makes them domestic servants without wages at the altar. Incidentally, the domestic arrangement of houses in New Zealand is not yet absolutely superb, and most of the work of a home is done by the longest route, and by drudgery, mainly because no one has introduced the art of building into New Zealand vet and labour saving devices are mostly absent. One of the means for the solution of the servant problem is the reconstruction on modern plans of homes, easier methods of cooking and cleaning and, the. use of household conveniences common to the humblest homes in America birt unknown here. The minimising of domestic drudgery is worth the expenditure of thought by the greatest of the world's geniuses whether they be men or women.

Mary Ann has the same right as William Henry to sell her goods in the best market and she is evidently doing it much to the despair of the missus. The abolition .of the old servitude idea and the simplification of household tasks may bring about a domestic Eden, but in the meantime one is afraid that the Duke's Mary Ann will not be persuaded even for a free passage to take service in New Zealand. The coolie, however, is as 3'et unexploited. What about him or his sister?