GERMAN MAIDS AND MISTRESSES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7417, 31 May 1902, Page 3

GERMAN MAIDS AND MISTRESSES.

/Lady Violet Gxeville dTaiws a sharp contrast between the lot oi English and German maids. Writing in the " Graphic " she says : — English maid-servants -who complain of their lot, and' pant for ever to go out -walking with their young moan, should know what has just been elicited by statistics about the condition of there class in Berlin. Wages in Germany were always low, and though they lave risen, even now they only reach about two-thirds of English wages. Then these Germran women have no rights ; their employers may do pretty well what they please. If a girl leaves 'her place before the time specified she risks a fine; if she refuses a place after naving accepted it she is liable to bo fined amd, perhaps, gat five days' imprisonment. Pew of the servants have a room to themselves ; many of them sleep anywhere— in tihe bathroom, the passage, of. in the kitchen. Others inhabit garrets where the roofs slope so that they cannot stand upright. Sometimes the -window only opens on to the staircase or into another room. In some places the sleeping apartments can only be reached by a ladder! Occasionally two or more sleep in the same room, which is also used for the storing of old ithings, lumber, dirty linen, etc. Certainly the condition of orar servants contrasts very favourably witlh those of Germany; in addition the hours of work are less, and no magistrate would dare reply as a Prussian jdld to a maid-«eryant who complained she was. made to work nineteen hours a day, "The Great Frederick only indulged in five hours* sleep, and 'his servant sat up till eleven at night."