The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY LEVIN. MONDAY, JULY 29. 1912. DOMESTIC SERVANT PROBLEM

Horowhenua Chronicle, 29 July 1912, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY LEVIN. MONDAY, JULY 29. 1912. DOMESTIC SERVANT PROBLEM

Tar. trouble in securing domestic as-sit-tance which afflicts housewives in New Zealand .and Australia wa.s one of the subjects inquired into by the Cost of Living Commission. Souk , interesting evidence was given at Ciii'isUhurch by an official of the Labour Department, but uiiMrtunately it was of a nature- not likely to give comfort to harassed housewives. The witness in question, a Mrs. Jane Mitchell, said she had had twenty years' experience of registry oflice Imsiness, and she was now in charge of the Women's Branch of the Labour Department at Ciirislehurch. .She said that during tlr» last twenty years wages for domestic servants had doubled in New Zealand, but the supply of eligible girls had gradually decreased. In her department they once used to get voting girls of about tii'teen years >>1 age. but now they went to the die-; , making, etc.. though, later in i ie they might come to be domestic servants. Another reason of tiK , shortage was the declining l>irt'irate ; the girls were not hero to fi'.l the placets. This witness gave in stnictive details regarding the 'niportation of servant girls from Great Britain, and showed inc'denU'ly how it came about that disro.u.-'r.l was manifested among the no v Pirivals. Thp evidence, is so read'ililo that we reprint a portion oi H bcr.ring upon this head. The witness was examined by the Chairman of the Commission as follows:---

Hats there boon any organized attempt on tho part of employers to get girls from Kngland?—The only

attempt is through tile farmers' Association- tile nn lv attempt 1 am conversant with.

Do they pay the passages or make ii contract? -I think it is mostly done through tin , British Women's Association. The girls come through them, and that association lia.s to he allowed a certain percentage • T think it is £2 10s per girl: and then the girls ait penalised when they arrive-. Tlow? ■■ They have to sign contract paper.s. guaranteeing that they will remain witli the association one yea 1 , . Do they sign papers in tins country? I think they are signed hero when they conic through the association, and then they are charged a. fine when they break away from tlu , association. Of comt-e, the association cannot claim that fine, hut thy girls do not know that. Are tlio wages paid less than they would get on the open market?- - Oh, no. I think they give , just ahoiit the average wage, hut. ol' course, the girls have no chance of selecting their placv* ; they Have to go where they are sent by the association. Do yon consider it necessary for a certain class of household that there should be help available?-Oh, yes; some women are (|uite unfit physically to do their housework, and where there are small children it is most desirable. How should that want he filled?--.1 suppose immigration ie the only way. Do you not think if the status of the domestic .servant were raised it attract girls to that work —I do not see how tin. , status can ho raised higher- the best conditions prevail now ; the girls are simply not on the market lor any elatss of labour.

What is the inducement that makes girls prefer factory-work to domestic service?— Perhaps a work-ing-man lias a family of daughters, and by going to the factory they can help their mother at home and contribute financially as well.

And have the evening free for themselves* I —Yes, free time for themselves or to help in the house. Girls out of town cannot take fac-tory-work—domestic work pays better.

Ts them no possibility of girls going to domestic work under factory

conditions—B to o, and sleep at home?—A great many ladies arc of- i fering these conditions now, but that i would not do for country girls or girls from abroad; they must have homos. { To Dr. Eight: With regard to tho British Association's girls, can they not leave one position and go to another within one year?— Provided they go to another position within the association, hut they must stay twelve months at the first house. To Mr McDonald : You do not sec any particular harm in that?--Yofl. T do, because if a girl is bound to tli c association she perhaps loses a chance of better employment; there might not be the most tempting situations vacant at tie time she conies out. But she got the chance to come out from Home?- She has the same . chance through the Agont-fieneral, and it costs her less, and when tho girl comes here she is a free agent, T and should bo allowed to refund her passage-money if she wants to leave her situation, if she is not happy in it. for instance. There have been girls brought out hero who have oik , consuming idea~-C] per week and nothing to do in the way of washing, etc., and they want to select their placets, and select light places. Do you think they are deluded into that idea by agents at Homer , that is the idea given to them at Hour , . By agents who get a commission on their passage?- Yes, that is tho r case I have ncj doubt-—the shipping- \ company agents. ( To Mr Robertson: You do not know win , ther the association makes the agreement at Home or here?— t No, not to be perfectly t-iiro. I suppose there is some sort of understanding before they leave there. The British "Women's Association gets C' 2 IDs for every girl they send out. There is a risk of the girl making an agreement which on arrival here she finds is detrimental to her prospects?- -Yes. that is so in a great many eases. They have done so, and then come to us for relief, and we have found them situations; wo constantly get this kind of thing to do. Iho girls are not happy in their positions, and they come to m> for bettor conditions.

To the Chairman: Tho arrangement made at Home does not stand? — Thai is so.

To Mr Hall: Does this association get any special concession on the fares of thes ( » domesticts -the British Women's Association? I do not know what their arrangements are with the. shipping companies. What about the i.'l>? -That is for working expenses. I suppose there would be- odices and expense* of Mime kind: the British Women's Association will have a good deal of expense. Are the cjirls paying the ordinary steamer faro?— Yes. And do they get any concession if they come out by the aid of the Agent-General?---- Yos. they only have to pay the current fare- C 2 ](is, or something of that kind, and they are not hemmed in—they an , perfectly i'roe agents when they arrive. The;,- can take domestic work or not: there is no law to force them to take any class of work. To Mr Fairbairn : Coming through the Agont-Oonerai they onlv pny C"2 "Ifis pasKacfc-inoiiP.v. you say?--There have been domestics getting fare< for that rate: tho arrangement- was in existence some few months ago. T know, so the girls tell mo. T think they can enme out that wav still.