ENGLISH DOMESTIC SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 571, 28 July 1909, Page 3

ENGLISH DOMESTIC SERVICE.

' ■»^'i ; SIJGiGESTED,-tJNION:'( ',•'; 'pj . ,A.proposal-is on'ioot (writes Lucy in his London'letter'to: the " Sydney Morn-,, ing-Herald/");to Establish' ; in this country : tf new trades, union, .to-be, composed of >. domestic servants.:,.,. The :'idea';;is'. bo rrowed'fijomth©: loii'g. beeri; 'in' the thrall/of/.what .is .known" as'the;Household Employees'/Uriiori,;- The. rules of -the, trans r (atlahtic institution are; proposed as the; basis •of the British corporation. I have ..seen a ; copy/which'.suggests .alarming thoroughness in, the matter, -It is/decreed that the working.day in the^kitchen-shall, not exceed eight ■ hours,-' and ''.'.shall: ; end '.when' the'' dishes are; .washed and: put-away," ..That "done, man.or maid is to'/W'master .'of his or her time. Ih'-v'ain-'jaay ;'belW,V: rung from' diningroom. . g'o>;a-ringing ; for., Sarah."; :It .isiv'rt.hej.ordained that 'domestic servants,' in;addition to'Sunday' : privileges, shall be'al-; ;;lowed ;ohe;- afternoon -.. or;- one. evening' out in: : each : *eek;;;'_Suh'da,y;ho^rs,Tun:from;9''o , clock in/the mofhirig till middayj no work of anykind ibeing; done after-3• p,m.-' : , '}' ■ ;'■ .'\-'Cfeoks, i : -;^ihg'.' i ;membera of the union, are forbfdden.tii.accept'ffag'es'at";-tho; rate of less: than/fil'a, week. /Chamber maids, and nursegirls offer of less thah.;'l6sV.'a, ; w;eeki whilst,'"inexperienced 'maids : br 'appreritides' l are graciously 'author-. :ised tov;a'coept 12s, a. :week. to -.begin with,: ;Gooks''afe:not permitted to; wash or'iron, nor -'may/laundresses'; though on the face^pfiit/'is.a:Severe.injunction, may/actually be :a.: blessirig 'inAdis'guise; ■ All-complaints on the part'of employers are. to bo made to the'agejjt-of the union, who will obligingly 'put matters Finally, arid this is ■the.;gemj''of,.> :; the '.'ordinances, V gentlemen 'friends ..shall-notobeodebarred.-.from.the kitchen' t qr.,back;,pprch,'' ; : : ,;.., <•; t\ :: : <This'state of things, which suggests elabo:rato;joke,, but. : is' actually, a.matter-of-fact-business'arfahgement,'may do very well in ;acountry; where; domestic' service is at a prem.ium>;;lt is;hardly,;likely to find .success--. : ful • transplantation to British homes. In America;- the' relations, .between capital and labour in'all their'.yariedj forms differ, essentially from those.rooted ni'the Old' Country'. For 'the -last 1 two"' year's the - American '■( workV;man,,- L sufferiiigV.withjh , iß.-masteV..ffom/'th6-re'r '.suJt'.of , -:'a'.'-gfeat'-flji'iMcial'.prinsi , .'hM..'be6ni''iii sore.straits,,;compelled\to'.bear himself-with a.'quite -unfamiliar..appearance/of submission: But ::the; domestic -.servant; indispensable at, the worst of times; still maintains van attitude of supremacy. Complaints are occasionally made by the; heads of-British households of the tyranny of the'servants' hall. No one unfamiliar ■ with domestic life in the United Statesman realise to what heights and depths 'it may rcadh.: -The consequence 'is-seen: iri' ; the fashionable habit of- living in hotels or boardinghousespto ''.the. destruction; of. iwh'at,, in.spite of, Inyasi6n';/Bcaresi is'lstilHthe lisfeman's hoirie;';;'' 1 ; " " r .-'' ;:'';' A