CHARMEN OF SYDNEY

Hokitika Guardian, 12 April 1930, Page 7

CHARMEN OF SYDNEY

SERVICES IX FLAT .BUILDINGS

SYDNEY, March 27

Willi tlie quirk upgrowth of huge blocks of flats, Sydney is beginning to follow Paris in the emj. loyment of a concierge or jantor to polish the brass of the great doorways, to clean the acres of windows, to keep the eats from the milk bottles, to sweep, dust and beat the carpets, and to run errands for the tenants. .In the buildings which comprise 50 or more flats lucre is obviously too much work for the old charwoman, who is fast being driven from her last citadel.

In many cases men are being employed in preference to women, tacit s:e of the many lalbour-saving devices that require attention in a modern flat, it seems to require the services of a man to look after the rcTiig>.lution, the electric stores, the elecirie batli-liealers, the liitsf the li.M's, lit:* vciitiiation and the rubbish chutes. This seems to leave <mly thq scrubuing lor the charlady, but even ibis now is being done by men. Today tnere are many more men than there are jobs, and many a man has’ loom glad to sink his pride '.beneath an apron and perform what has ailways been regarded as a woman’s uor.,. Men in ail walks have been furred to seek some new avenue for their labours, and as servants they are preferred to women in many of the Sydney flats. in the real flat-land of Sydney—which is Darlinghurst—the evergrowing army of men servants may h seen emerging from their basement clugmits, if not with the lark then with the first rattle of the milk cans. Armed with brooms and pails, and clusters, and metal polish, they set to work, some furtively, others indilferont to the gaze of the passersby. Tor I laps they will some day become as proud of their office as their brothers iiii France, Whose children are ib irn concierges.

It may be only a coincidence that during the war the flapper daughters of the charwomen took the j'dbs of the sons of these janitors in offices and in hanks—and didn’t give them up. Now the fathers of those hoys have taken the jobs of the mothers of the flappers—and won’t give them up.