DOMESTIC SERVANTS.

Evening Star, Issue 3192, 14 May 1873, Page 3

DOMESTIC SERVANTS.

To (he Editor.

Sir, —Permit me through the medium of your columns to express my opinion that something should be done by our emigration authorities, without delay, to supply a grea* want in Dunedin, and 1 believe in Otago at the present time, viz., a good and useful class of servant girls. I am sure a greal many mistresses must he thoroughly tired and disgusted with the infliction of the girls (or most of them) who uow-a days condescend t*> engage as general servants and nurse girls. It is quite a common thing for them to be out of more than half-a-dozon places in the course of a year : some because they are found to be dirty in their habits, lazy, and only in tho way ; some because they have the propensity of taking anything they can conveniently carry away ; others because they don’t like to stay too long in one place, get uppish, or it may be that Mrs Gossip tells them of a nice place where she thinks they will get higher wages and little or nothing to do ; and not a few because they know there are plenty of places, and won’t put up with any of their mistresses’ nonsense. When, I ask, will this state of things be remedied ? Before concluding, I think I might offer a word of advice to those about to take servants into tbeir hom e-*, it is this : Inquire of the mi'-tress they served with last as to their character and reasons for leaving, as many plausible reasons are trumped up for leaving their last place. This, I think, would tend in a measure to mitigate the evil complained of; but a supply of eligible girls is what we now stand greatly in need of, and I am sure that most of the ladies, in Dunedin at all events, will bear me out in all I have said. —I am, Ac., Mrs Tidy. Do-without-’em-if-you-can Cottage, Dunedin, May 14.