PROBLEM OF DOMESTIC HELP

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 296, 10 September 1919, Page 4

PROBLEM OF DOMESTIC HELP

WOMEN'S NATIONAL COUNCIL CONFERS One of the subjects discussed at yesterday's meeting o:-: the ■ i\ew Zealand ! Women's National Council conference \ held in St. John's fchoolroom, was that ', of help in the homis, and a very inter- { estijig and compreheisive paper upon tho \ subject was given by Miss Lyncli, MA. J Miss Melville-presided. ■ , ' Hiss' Lynch was of the opinion that. • tho Government should take steps to ' provido for. tho iiiaining of domestic heli) for home-makers and mothers of families. In all the problems of postwar reconstruction, the keynote was the welfare and security of the child. Tho ] home stood for rest, comfort, peace, help 1 and inspiration, but; under tho condi- .] turns that prevailed far too often to-day these wero often wanting. Mothers were \ frequently overtaxed and at breaking • point in their efl'ors to carry on the : machinery of the home. As a matter ; of. fact. there was no time for home- ' building and tho hf-me-life of r the com- ' niuuity was in danger of breaking down .altogether. The scarcity of ddniestic ■ help was also ono of the most serious ohecks to population, for thero wero . many women who wero not prepared to face the- self-sacriiteo which- married life to-day entailed. Tho system of domestic science in most ■of our schools, publi:, technical and sec- ' ondary, and also in our universities was not practical enough., Miss Lynch considered, nor was it rxtensivo enough nor subsidised enough to be of sufficient help to-home-makers. Teachers had to strug-. glo along under great difficulties, and it could not bo said that the present sys. torn had greatly increased the number of paid domestic workers for tho homes. There wero not enough practical women teaching cookery. In regard to the technical training-col-leges it would bo interesting, Miss Lynch considered, to obtain figures showing how many paid domestic workers took courses and now many mothers of families. In the technical school 1 syllabus she had often found that little attention wis 1 paid to the scientific side of its work In regard to tho values of food which would result in a'balanced meal being provided. It was very- necessary to know what foods should be combined in meals 60 as to obtain'the proper amount of food values. To cope with the difficulties of tno housekeeper who could obtain no domo«tic help, there remained tho following possibilities: to go to «. restaurant ior meals; travelling kitchens and delicatessens; boarding-ho-asos; foreign labour; volunteer labour. Much tho samo faults wero to be fot.nd in regard to the first three. Tho fcod lost savour and attractiveness, and feero was always the possibility of insanitiry conditions being in existence. As regarded boardinghouses there were many that would not take in children. Tlio substitute of foreign labour where it had beon tried was not always successful." It was not always trustworthy, and sometimes thoso peoplo who hnd employed it had found I themselves faced'witi upheavals and revolutions in tho stronghold of their own homes. Where labour had been importMi from Northern Europo it had been found that after the first year or so tlie men or women would leave their employers and start work on their own account having saved, enough from their wages to start thenWves in some business or occupation, and tho problem was' left unsolved. Regarding volunteer work, she. considered that, tho labourer was worthy of, his -hire' and should be paid. ' „ ' ■' One of tho solutions of'the problem, Miss Lynoh considered, was to put household work upon a proper basis. An educational .programme should bo started to bring about ft right attitude on tho side of both employees, and employers, and this sho.thought might be the oork of a Government organiser. Without doubt -housework was the belated industry of our day. It had lagged behind all others. Professions that were now held in liigh regard wcro once looked down upon just fl3 much as domestic workers had been hitherto, and she enumerated ministers, doctors, lawyers, nurses, etc. Domestic work had to be uplifted and regarded us one _ ot tlieHighest professions. The training could not be acquired at a moments notice, and'the person who made an inefficient housekeeper was the one who had received no training. Miss Lynch expressed tho opinion that--he employer was largely responsible tor 'ho present condition of affairs. Hie conditions under which maids were somotmes required to work were not sucJi ■s to increase the number of worKors. L'ko solution of the problem as regarded jmployees. Miss Lynor thought might bo found in tho following conditions fcemg brought about: The standardising ot housework for large and small households; tho standardisation of wa' D e», regular hours of work and freedom; wellventilated kitchens and better bedrooms; efficiency kitchons and the removal ot the social stigma. Diseasing these conditions the speaker considered that tho standardising of wi and wages and the arranging of regular hours of »oik ami freedom were absolutely essential. Ufioienoy methods should bo mti'oducod into ■'housework and should be one pi the ief subjects in domestic science o asses. The removal of the' stigma upon house. ~-orkers rested largely upon women, ihey should make their maids feel not on 1 ,v 'words but by deeds that then- wmk ~as a science and had behind'it the highest possible ideals. As , for, em"loyers. hey should demand right ideate id loyally to Wk! they should also Tto secure the highest type of em-

-diss Lynch outlined the training m lomestic scienco that was given, in _a 'chool of homo economics organised in connection with the Y.W.C.A. in Seatdo id America, and then suggested mehoi which nUght to followed m tins ountry in training domestic workers "eso were; ft) A training school wi h omplete equipment for teaching eookrv, laundry work, eewmg-, oneralty, the science of common lite ,ul household .management; @) -school to bo for home-makers and domestic vorkers alike; (3) diploma to be granted for (a) special work, (b) general tramini- (4) the co-operation of employers "be gained through related employment bureaux; (5) hours to bo given ■u work for attending classes. At tho conclusion <-f Miss Lynch's address, after considerable' discussion the following resolution was passed: "That the Government be asked to placo a sum on the Estimates to <stahlish an experimental training school for womon who wish to specialise iu domestic work."