THE DOMESTIC HELP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10180, 15 June 1911, Page 2

THE DOMESTIC HELP.

TRYING TO RAISE HER POSITION. THE DIGNITY OF THE "WORK IN THE HOUSE. A REQUEST TO THE GOVERNMENT. This morning Mr T. E. Taylor, M.P., introduced to the Hon G. Fowlds, Minister of Education, Mrs Cole, president of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, Mr W. Ensom, representing tho Fabian Society* and Mr G. R. Whiting, president of the Can« terbury Trades and Labour Council, who asked that something should b» done to train all girls in domestio work and raise the position of th* domestic help. Mr Ensom said that he was disap» pointed that more ladies had not attended. At a meeting of delegates from different societies a series of motions had been passed. A committee was appointed, and it baa drawn up a report, which was as follows: agreed that among other causes which produce the present unsatisfactory conditions are the following:—(1) Inefficiency on the part of a large proportion of those' engaged in domestio service; (2) excessively long hours of employment, insufficient time for relaxation, lack of proper accommodation for sleeping. The committee recommends as a remedy that the status of the domestic helps should be raised by providing means for proper training and equipment. This •would secure to them the advantage of being able to insist on reasonable conditions from employers, and would secure to employers reliable and efficient service. With tha view to providing training for all girls attending the primary schools, tne Government should be asked to make domestic economy compulsory for girls in Standards V. and VI., and for girhi in lower standards whose age is twelvs and a half in the preceding January. That a practice house should be provided at every domestio science centre, to be used for the purpose of training girls in general housework, and where lunch may be provided at a email charge for children attending the school. That domestic instruction should be ma do a compulsory subject for all girls holding junior free places at technical and high schools, and that it should be a pass subject for junior and senior Civil Service and matriculation examinations- The committee i 3 of opinion that the 'timd now allowed! for domestic training in connection with the primary schools, forty hours per rear, is not enough, and recommends that it should be increased to two and a half hours per week. That in connection with eacn Technical High School a training hostel should be established where students may board, and where all pupils taking the domes' tic science course may receive instruction and practice in cookery, laundrywork and care of a house. That the Government should be nsked to make attendance at continuation day classes in domestic science compulsory, and to enact that employers release girls fo? four hwurs weekly to enable them to attend such classes until they are seventeen. That a creche should be attached to every training hostel, in order to teach students the care of infants. The creche would also be a great boon to many mothers. The committee finds that New Zealand is lacking behind other countries in this matter, Switzerland being perhaps the most advanced. In the rural districts of that country girls must attend a domestic economy school one whole day in the week, from October until May. for a period of two year?. Everv district has its special household school, and attendance is compulsory up to the age of fifteen, and on leaving the elementary school every pupil must proceed to a secon* dary institution. In Germany. Britain and America, also, a very decided steo forward has been taken in this matter. The committee recommends thafe other centre;? throughout the dominion should be asked to assist in pressing the subject on the attention of the Government." Mrs Cole said that work in the home in the past had been regarded as drudgery, and many girls went Into tli9 factories, few being left for domestic service. It was therefore thought that the girls should be trained to domestio work m the same way as nurses were trained at present. If that were done, girls in different classes of society would take up the work. The dignity of domestic labour must be raised. The word "menial" should be erased from the dictionary. Every girl should he compelled to go through a course of* traimug. If that were done, a class of girls would be brought into existence who could go to the temporary assistance of mothers. If a start were made in that direction something would be done to solve the problem. _ The- girls who went through the training need nob necessarily follow it up, but no girli should be allowed to say that another girl bad been trained as a domestic, and, therefore, was her inferior. It might be a big order, but a start would have to be made some time.

Mr Whiting said that the proposals had been carefully considered by delegates representing a large number of bodies. The committee had gone deeply into the question. There vrns no doubt that many girls at present employed in domestic service were inefficient. The Minister should alsff consider the long hours and other dis« abilities under which domestic helps laboured. ft was very desirable that' married women who were not well off should be able to employ labour for a. few hours. When a man earned about 30s or £2 a week his wifo could not employ a help but might afford casual assistance. The proposals had the strong support of the Trades Council, especially those in regard to firing domestic instruction and making part of it compulsory. If the Government would give financial assistance to the Technical College the scheme to establish a hostel would be gone on with. The Trades Council also supported the proposal to establish a creche in Christchurch. Nurses were regarded as desirable and skilled workers. Domestic helps should he in the same position. Air Taylor said that if girls had a thorough course in English literature and were then thoroughly trained in. domestic work it would be a good thing for the nation. Sufficient stress was not placed en the training of girls in the duties they would almost certainly., be called upon tr> discharge. One of his daughters, who had gone throush a course of domestic instruction, recently undertook the management of tho household work and discharged the duties in a very efficient wav. I

the Minister said that, to use Mrs Colo's words, the order certainly was a Inn/e one.' ifr Taylor's onii experi-' chops'demonstrated the fact that much, was being done at present that was good and creditable to the system in. operation. Every girl in the fifth and sixth standard received in '''omostic economv. It was impossible" to cover the whole range. There were coin plaint'! in regard to overcrowding the 'syllabus, and if two hours and a half '.•! week were given up to the pnnwso it would very sen■mislv interfere with other items in the girl's education. ! Mr Taylor: T think it would be tn enormous henefit to the State. j The Minister: T don't. Remember, it is in Ihe primary schools. I Mrs Cole said that a lady teacher had told her 1 hat --tn afternoon occupy* iniv two hours and a half every week spent in that way would be accept-. able to the girls. _ I The Minister said that he did nob thin'c that, was the experience of th» teachinff profession generally. There were only five hours in a school day»j After all. it was only a moderate education that was crlvon in the primary schools, and the Department did not? control the secondary education in the hiah schools, which was in the handa of the Board?. The Department exercised a moral influence, but it did not have n legal controlling influence. Fori

years it had brought moral suasion on the Boards to have domestic science taught in the girls' department. Ho was happy to say that the great bulk *»f the secondary pchools were doing that. He agreed that every girl should bo trained in the direction suggested. The only question was where it thou Id begin and its extent. More might be done at technical schools and continuation classes. He bad made- an attempt to have compulsory attendance at those classes for both boys and girls, but it Tras not very successful, on account of opposition from employers. As it was now, it was in the hands of school committees, which knew the conditions of the different districts. He would be glad to help in securing efficient instruction to all girls, as all, whether domestic workers or domestic employers, should I>* uell trained. There were lots of women in New Zealand ■with large families who had done all their work, enjoyed their lives, and attended to the mental and moral, as well as the physical, welfare of their children. Mr* Cole said that the. children were not of the same .physique as the mothers in those cases. She had studied that point carefully, and that was the opinion she had formed. Mr Taylor said that he thought love of pleasure now entered largely into consideration*! oi' life. The deputation thanked the Minister and retired.