Men Who Do Women’s Work.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVIII, Issue XXII, 31 May 1902, Page 1115

Men Who Do Women’s Work.

While to a great extent it is true that women have of late years taken to men’s work, it is also true that some men do women’s work. The famous men dressmakers of laris have counterparts in other eoun.ries the largest producer of diess patti rn for women in New York is a man, although his business has for years been conducted in the name of his wife. The most expensive and the best fitting dresses that women wear are "tailor made” by men. The designs for new dresses are mostly made by men. The most expensive women’s hats are made by men. In the department of nursing, which has been considered specially women’s work, many men are employed. When patients are helpless, and require much lifting it has been found necessary to engage strong men. because women are not equal to the labour. The very finest and best paid sewing is done by men in fancy tailoring. Since the introduction of the sewing machine the proportion of men seweis is increased in those branches in which the work is heavy and requires strength for long hours of labour. The best cooks are men. In the clubs, hotels, restaurants and in private houses where expert cooks are required they are men. Men have made cooking one of the fine arts. It is true, however, that the great artists in food d s dain to be called cooks, and are known

as chefs, and they command salaries of which the average lawyer would be proud. House-cleaning is no longer women’s own work. There are establishm n a that will clean a house from top to iMittoni. and put it in order, and employ men to do it. Hoarding-house keeping is mostly a woman's business, hut there are many large ami successful boarding-houses in this city that are managed by men. The tendency of men in the business is to enlarge it. so as to make their establishments assume the character of hotels. It is rarely that a woman keeps hotel. There are even “men chambermaids.'’ On steamboats and steamships most of the chamber work is done by men. as on cars all of it is. Even in large boarding-hous*. s it has been found ex-

pedient to have men to do the chamber work. On the Pacific Coast Chinese men are largely employed as domestic servants. It is curious how differently a Chinaman uses an iron from the method eni ployed by women. When a woman irons she gets it at the right heat for u*e. ami consequently it soon cools. and she consumes much time in chang 114 her irons. The Chinaman, on the con tiary. gets his iron much too hot for use. When he begins to use his iron he plunges it quickly into cold water. This cools the surface for a moment. the heat from the interior then begins to rente to the surface and continues to do so for some time. al>out as fast as it is cooled by use. so that the nei ess'.ty for the frequent changing of irons is obviated.