ROYAL REGISTRY OFFICES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1897, 4 November 1913, Page 5

ROYAL REGISTRY OFFICES.

Buckingham I'alace, like nearly every other household, has of late beon feeling the dearth of maid-servants. Royal registry offices aro now a necessity, and those so honoured aro generally conducted by persons who have lived in the Palace, or havo other high connections, Tho lato stewards bo tho Marquess of DufFer.in and the Earl of Crewe, for instance, .regularly suplily Buckingham Palace and Marlborough House with both men and maid-servants. Mr. Taylor, of tho Stewards' Agency (London), states that they aro held responsible for the peddle they send to tlio Royal household, and no one is ever sent who has not lived in good houses, and has at least two years' character. Footmen, undcr-butlers, indeed, all men in livery, must be 6ft. in height, and the better-looking they aro tho better chance they have of securing a post. Footmen who have served at Embassies in other countries, and can speak one or two languages aro favoured. Only British servants aro engaged. Tlio men must be between the ages of 22 and 28, and the women< botweon IS and 22. The wages aro not better to begin with than in other households,, but there are better allowances—in liveries and in plain clothes. There is the chance, too, of promotion to' something better. A head housemaid might get £50 a year, and, of course, there is a pension for every servant who has served a certain number of years. Ten years is generally considered the minimum time for a pension, but when a case of misfortune occurs an application is made t8 tho King, who approves a special grant. Tho sen-ants have plenty of work to do in the Palace, but ample leisure and very good quarters and living. The maids are required to dress alike—in tho same . coloured prints. The State porters and marshall men aro engaged directly by tho King 011 warrant. When a vacancy occurs.everyone holding an office in the Palace has a right to name a candidate to the Lord Steward. The latters sifts the applications, and submits the result to tlio King. Tho ordinary household servants are resident with tho exception of a personal housemaid, who travels with tho Royal Family.