THE CHRISTCHURCH DOMESTIC WORKERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 521, 31 May 1909, Page 3

THE CHRISTCHURCH DOMESTIC WORKERS.

THEIR! SECRETARY INTERVIEWED, -TheChristctiurch Domestic ;AVorke^^ does notl approve of the; suggestion •; so popu-' "lafcVfonong^Oauterb^ .';Vemment yshijl; be!; asked -.to •• bring . out do-_ -ineatic .-workers-'from England;. •..Tbis is only, tinkering: wiihthe whole question.of • (loiucs- • tic-work, Ithey 'say .VGoveh\meiit. has no; right :to : : bring -oui girls-to 'compete .with- organised- labour. ,iii New;. Zealand, and :itis • not; to : b6 supposed * that: the'girls ( from Homo. >-will-"1)0 - more.; grilling ■' to : remain • -in j -homes where would : likve to : wo'rk" under : unpleasant j than; aro Zealand. ' girl3^•;They. : wouldv:dnft into, other employ-: ; mentj • and: lowerwages: wuld • result.-There- ;■ are,'certain);reasons\ttdiy/it would' be bettor for : -girls'-to como out' under than to 'bo/.brought" out .privately, :• as many, are now. itt batchcs undor 'tne. care of ; a "hiatrori' seatedVatv.Homo,-'but the/ relief : aftorded ; toVtho "employers;;by • the• arrival of. so many new girls would, alter all, be cnly. temporary. ■> • "The-conditions must bo. altered, • soya -Wilson} secretary, of . tho . Christrchurch Union,' -whei :is at' present in Welling- . ton, and who.disousses. tho matter 11} a. very reasonable!,.way; with' ai'evident desire' to bo absolutely fair to' both .sidoS'. She points. out . that, while there aro Tory many quite kindly, employers, there are also many who do _ not treat their girls fairly, and that the whole position/requires to be; made.-.more defimto. ' Sirs; Wilson does hot consider that .tho: world will over have to get along without domestic 1 workers. There will always bo girls who liko 'dohiosticiemploymeirit,'and ;there will .always: boneod for thorn, but tho .wholo conditions V under which they work . will; have', to bo changed. Co-oporative kitchens, and similar institutions, -may ; take-out .of the honio n ■ great' deal of tho ; hardest work, and- the ne--v cessityfor. trained. workers, .'will;be increasivcly Tocognised. "These .-workers will, Mrs. Wilson thinks, -como from tho / educated classes, for it 'will :only .bo those girls, who .v will be ableto afford-the training, and, with their advent, 'domestic conditions will inevifcably change..! They will not put up with the meagro arrangements ■ made. forvtho. comfort of the present-day worker.The sleeping • accommodation, for one thing, -.rill havo to bo ■ improved, and grcatly it ; necds improvement. "Mistresses.-will: say'.ihat.'anyway;{their 'girl ; has a horno," sho said. "Homo means moro than a kitchen to woTk in, and a badly ventilated bedrob'm to.' sleep in. TIIO working girl should have .'a" robm f 'whero she' can sit when she.is not. working, and .'-though CI /know it Y,'onl<l.beinipossible to setaside such _a room .' : : for .Mr in most houses at least h'avo a''comfortable, restful/chair in the kitchen.. : 3 ■Speaking'' of tho attraction of factory life for Now Zealand girls,'. Mrs. Wilson said sho supposed- that a -girl of_ twenty, who .would -' ibe earning fifteen shillings a week in .domestic service, would, in.■ several trades,' get as much as twenty-five, shillings a week, with : shorter hours,"and lief evenings ; to herself.. But, -she/'insisted, it' is; not a question of wages with the girjs so much, as conditions, i j and sho i^Uoted'the.case. girl who gave • up" a -.factory situation at', twenty-five -smllings 'a "week for .ono'.a.s worker, at less than half that wage, because sho preferred a quiet, domestic life in a home where the work was' light and.the conditions pleaf'rTho ;Chrls&hiiVciii' ..p.omesiic - 'XFnion' ;'has formulated a series of demands and inodi- ■ fixations-.ofthose put by the Wel- . lington' Union,' and. inoro elastio, but asking, • for a ten and a' half . hours ' forking ; day, ..which niay begin at six/in the morning, and,. ' with tho Acquired intervals for meals and rest,* might end: at.7.30. Jn tho. evening,; with .'one'extended' dsiy ;that only',orids at. ten .or half-past, ::. .to,;pro'vide' .the. mistress with a 1 . night out. Thoy ask for the statutory lialf- , '.'holidays to.ibo ■ granted,.or, if>.the mistress. T- '-does not/want: to let the' girl off .'on, thoholiday, for one whole day' within the iveek lnstcad. ; The .union is at present only registered. No award has been mado by tho Ar- ■ 'bitration Court,, nor can. it under th'o . Court, until .-two','of the clauses -in ' the last .amending Act have .been repealed—-the clause--which makes tho Act only apply to those . workers. whoso; .increases .tho' Sm-' '•- plbyer's.pecnniaTy ? -wealth,;and;,tho one that : ' puts' it within the power ;of -tho; judge to Te- - • fuse ■ an' award; ."/With these two clauses re- ;■" pealwl, tho workers liopo they may be .in a .. position to ; .sccuro-an award. . - . . . One thing the workers want'immediately, and that is. a 'statutory'' weekly half-holiday. . They'aro'hot as]dng that.bno:fixed day /shall: : v.Vbe.t'ho.niaids',.' half-holiday,- for. .that would ob- .,' yiously, inconvbhience the employers, but thoy. •V ask that once' a week the maid shall -be se- ■ cure', of having a clear ; half-day to herself, ' instead of,' as now,' getting away at the'eon- '. vehienco 'of: 4h&'mistress, ■ and often .beginfour ih the after-.