The Perennial Problem.

White Ribbon, Volume 12, Issue 141, 13 February 1907, Page 4

The Perennial Problem.

The perennial problem of domestic servict has been attacked from t<*|» and l)ottoin this year, in the lirst place, a Domestic Servants I nion, beginning with some fifty members, has just been formed in Christchurch on what seems to he a firm and workable basis ; am! henceforth tiie voice of the house worker will be heard, a> well a* that of other female representatives of the industrial classes It i> to he hoj>ed that this union will be m< re fortunate than its short-lived forerun tier in Wellington, for undoubtedly the mere fact of domestic service heir# included definitely with organised forms of industry will do much to rouse public, or rather private opinion, as to definite rights which should havt been considered long ago. It will also, we tru*t, rouse the more heedless of the girls to recognise that they belong not to an amorphous tagrag order of things from whieh no sense, no skill, and no continuity could ever he expected, but to an important department which demands serious application and careful training. On these grounds, and as an immediate impulse to hasten a more satisfactory state of affairs, this new Union is to he heartily welcomed. The problem of housework is attacked more or less directly, however, in a much more ambitious scheme of which we trust to hear more hereafter. This scheme is presented in the generous proposal made last month to the Canterbury Hoard of Governors by a well known philanthropist, Mr John Studholme, of Coldstream, Ashburton In a clear and comprehensive manner, Mr Stiidholme informed t ic Hoard that during an American tour in 1 ( M >d, undertaken mainly to study advances, agricultural and other, in education, he came closely to observe tin* established courses <>f Home Loonoinics in the American I Diversities. This study “comprises all that pertains to the home, such as : —the prop* r .’ceding of infants, tin* proper kinds and quantities of foods for different ages and seasons, the composition and cost of foo.ls, the durability, making, cutting, sewing, mending and washing of clothes, the bandaging of wo mds, and lirst aid. tin* warmth, ventilation, lighting, plumbing, and everything connected with tin* health, beauty and cleanliness of the house

This course which is under the charge of competent women professors, struck Mr St ml hoi me as such a practical application of science' to tne welfare of humanity as few other studies could furnish Ih* entered into communication with Miss (iilchrist, tin* Professor of Domestie Science in the I Diversify of I ennessee, and found that she would accept a similar position in New Zealand for : i year. Mr Studholme’s te'xt >n*p was to communicate with the Hoard <■! (iovernors of Canterbury College, and with tile Kdiication I K partment, offering to eont rilnite >< t a year to Miss Gilchrist's salary if these authorities could see their way to provide the rest and create tin* new course. In cast* the Canterbury Hoard '.efused, a similar offer was made to Victoria (’ollcge, Wellington. The Inspector General brought up Mr Studholme s letter in the (’Diversity Senate, then sitting in Christchurch, and moved that tin* matter he referred to a committee. An interesting discussimi tonk place in the Senate. Dr. Collins wished to see the study of Domestic Science incorporated with that of nursing. Hn lessor Sale thought that no woman should take a degree as H.A. or H.Sc. without passing in tin* proposed course. This was wisely combated by Mr Hoghen, as tending to make the study u popular. For ourselves, we would go further, and count a compulsory clause in this connection as great an injustice as the forcing of engineering on men who were entering on other professions, as medicine or tin* law. That is not to say. however, that tin* hulk of women, and certainly the host women, would not gladly and diligently study and apply the new science; and that in consequence a vast amount of valuable home knowledge would not >OOll permeate our social system, to the infinite betterment of tin* race. It i> gratifying to s<* that the Senate adopted t lit- favourable report of the committee, and that, consequently, the new chair of Home Feouoinics will lx* a reality within the year. Doubtless the Philistine will make merry for a season over tin* novelty, but when the Senate's pro|x>sed standard of physiology and other included sciences is defined, it will he seen that the course will he difficult a> any on the syllabus of University work. M r Studholme s idea, moreover, is to spread more im Mediate

and practical knowledge by means of popular lectures on a with* basis, from these we may expect both an immense improvement in domestic management and an immense increase in labour saving appliances. .Science and mechanics arc eagerly applied to lighten and shorten men's work, but the saving of women's time and energy has hitherto been a secondary matter. J. M.