WHERE THE COOKS GO.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1836, 23 August 1913, Page 11

WHERE THE COOKS GO.

I DO THE COLONIES GAIN? '' London householders have for 6ome time been complaining of the shortage of cooks, states a London writer. Housemaids and nurses have been rare enough, but competent cooks have been more difficult to find. It has now been discovered that the explanation is "emigration' to Australia and Canada but especially to Australia." Miss Dowling, the secretary of the Association of Employment Agents, has 1 special opportunities for learning the truth. She states that cooks have been ' going to Australia during the last two or three years "in thousands"! Lucky Australians! Miss Dowling says that she had occasion to advertise for two cooks to go to Australia and was astounded to firid Tiow many applications she received from well qualified and experienced servants. "After that I made inquiries of colonial representatives and others acquainted with emigration matters, and found that the oversea Dominions are draining the home supply .of what I should call 'useful' domestic servants to a surprising extent. The emigration agents ,in London, and in different provincial centres make their local inquiries and when they have a sufficient number of suitable applicants ship them away in batches." f. It is to be hoped that Australian housewives are aware of their good fortune, and that it is being secured at the exN pense of their English sisters. Apart o, from the rush to Australia, however, there is the desire of many young seri) vants for the "ladylike" existence ()f a housemaid, rather than the hard work of a cook. In many London houses the housemaid's work is finished by 1 o'clock. She leads what sho calls a "lady's life" for the rest of the day. The kitchen work, however, goes on until late at nigh't. lastly, there is' the absehco of proper home training by the mother, which used to be the foundation' of , a cook's experience in the' old' days. It is ovident that in the near future our daughters frill have to return to the kitchens which they left thirty years ago. If they do not wo shall have to rely upon restaurant meals and dispense with home cooking altogether.