IMPORTED DOMESTIC SERVANTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 878, 26 July 1910, Page 3

IMPORTED DOMESTIC SERVANTS.

(To the Editor.) . Sir,—Although I live so far away, as the post-mark 011 my letter will indicatej yet I have the pleasuro of read-, ing your- interesting, newsy paper. I have before me The Dominion, dated July 11,. and in it I . see 'an item on the subject of importing domestic servants. Now, I would- like to give a foreword on this subject. If the young girls, about 15-or 16' years of age, and poor orphans, too, are brought out to New Zealand to work for women of families who !ind they have too much to do, there ought' to be ,a lady inspector appointed' to visit'at any. time, without giving ; notice, of their intensions 'of doing, so: these' homes where the girls arc employed: The lady inspector should have a'right to visit under the same rule as adopted in the cases where young children are boarded out by the State. By this means there' would be'no imposition, and the girls from home orphanages would be more willing, and would; feel better protected under such conditions. The present overworked would get plenty of their work done by these girls, and such ■ .work as excessive polishing of floors, too many changes of starched and ironed laces, and frills, etc.," would not be so likely to be indulged in. If mothers of families. iind too much to do, the best 'advice for them is, when they do obtain a girl servant, to go oil about the same as before, and after giving tlio servant duties to. perform of the usual kind, do .themselves. If there, are any daughters in these families over the age' of, say, ten years, then these, girls should have some slight duty entrusted to- them, aiicl thereby be gradually ' taught, .as years go by, to substitute the employed help, who'wpuld probably marry after the age of 21 years—l am, etc., MOTHER OF TWO.