AUCKLAND HAPPENINGS.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 17 October 1918, Page 3

AUCKLAND HAPPENINGS.

[From Our Own Correspondent!

Auckland, Oct. 14

THE DOMESTIC HELP

PROBLEM

The proprietor of a well-known Auckland Registry Office states that fewer and fewer girls are offering for domestic service. The sort of girls who filled these positions a few years ago have more ambitious aims nowadays. For a long time past " service " has been unpopular with these * young persons. At one time they were content to exchange house-work for work in the factories. Now aspire to occupy positions in offices. And since the war started a great many girls of the domestic servant class have become clerks. The regular hours appeal to them. They infinitely prefer clerical work to "washing up," sweeping and polishing, and . making beds. Besides, you see, a girl who works in an office is a " young lady," whereas if she does house-work she is just a " servant." I have heard recently of a cook and a housemaid being required in a large private house in this city. They were advertised for. The wages offered were 25/- and 22/6 per week, respectively. But only two applicants presented themselves, and both of them \" turned down " the offer. If those girls secure office billets they certainly will not make such wages as those quoted, at any rate for a considerable time. But clerical work, even the simplest kind, is "genteel"—

while domestic work is "low." That is the view held by nine working girls out of ten to-day.

"HANDS OFF THE PACIFIC."

Falling into line with Sydney Auckland has just taken the preliminary steps to form a " Hands Off the Pacific Club." The idea is to prevent the reestablishment of enemy interests in the Pacific, and to promote and advance the interests of the Dominion with regard to the islands of the Southern Pacific. The formation of clubs of this kind is of course a step in the right direction, and possibly if such organisations had been in existence in the past Germany would never have obtained a footing in Samoa. The fact is Australasia has been shockingly apathetic in regard to this question and has only awakened to a proper sense of the German menace in the Pacific within the last year or two, and as a result of the war. No less blind and indifferent has New Zealand shown herself to be regarding the commercial importance to her of the Pacific Islands' trade. This is fast drifting away from us.

IS IT A TRUE BILL?

The school teachers, that is many of them, continue to be highly indignant with Bishop Averill for his plain speaking regarding immorality in our public schools. l But the Bishop's statements on this subject have been corroborated by various correspondents of the daily papers. A mother writes : " I hold that it is impossible for any boy or girl, no matter what good innfluence may be in the home, to remain long in a state of innocence and purity of mind while attending these schools. Do the headmasters who speak in defence of the schools know nothing of indecent inscriptions on school buildings and fences, of suggestive letters being passed between boys and girls in class, of mothers of little girls of five and six years of age having to accompany their little ones to and from school to prsvent their being molested by depraved boysThese and worse evils exist." If this lady is to be believed—and those .who are best able to judge must acknowledge that she has made out a pretty good case—then our whole scholastic system wants overhauling, Otherwise how can parents who have their children's welfare truly at heart allow them to run the fearful risk of continuing to attend the public schools ? The teaohers need not be so thin-skinned regarding their responsibility in this matter. They cannot reasonably be expected to be [ always with the ohildren.