DOMESTIC SERVANTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2049, 9 April 1907, Page 4

DOMESTIC SERVANTS.

HOPE FOR THE HOUSEWIVES.

Tlio subjects dealt with at Lho To Ante Conference are all of general interest, but ono is specially so to housewives who aro unable to get help, that of training Maori girls for domestic sorvieo. Thoro is no doubt that in some cases where these girls have taken up the work they Slave proved efficient and satisfactory, and the movement initiated by Mr. Kolioro may yet load to the solution of what is a real difficulty in many homos. Rearing on tlio general subject a Times representative had a chat with a gentleman who has recently paid a visit to the Old Country, and who had given some attention to the question, owing to the striking way in which it had been brought under his notice. He had mot a family in England by whom ho was assured that their only reason for leaving Now Zealand was their inability to obtain satisfactory domestic help. They were people of moans and were willing to pay well for the services fondorod; it was through no niggardly spirit that they wore unable to obtain this lilop, although the fact that tlio family lived a short distance out of Auckland increased the difficulty that would have been experienced in the city. In view of this dearth of domestic help, the gentleman had decided, rather than making drudges of members of his family, when ho was willing to pay well, to leave this fair colony for England. “We lovo Now Zealand,” were his words, “and would prefer living there to anywhere elso, but tlio difficulty of goting help in the houso made us leave it.” The question being raised as to whether England had not also its servant difficulty, the speaker admitted that on enquiry he had found that to bo the case. “Well, what remedy would you suggest?” he was asked, prior to Mr. Koliero’s suggestion being made known. “To bring in a lot of Japanese girls,” ho replied. Ho went on to say that the little Jap women made splendid servants; they wore clean, smart, and reliable. Questioned as to whether their moral codo was not lower than our own, the gentleman said that was now the impression, but his information did not bear that out, and even if it wore so there would bp no trouble'ill teaching these girls the standard of decorum which existed ill British households. His idea, he went on to explain, was that in be crying need of which ho had no doubt, ho said, that Government should bring a lot of tlieso Japanese girls into tlio colony, and that they would he eagerly sought by I hundreds of people. At any rate he I thought tlio suggestion might he I put forth. The gentleman's suggestion, taken in conjunction with that of Mr. I Kohero should provide an excellent I opportunity for discussion of the I whole subject by those most inI terested.