DOMESTIC WORK.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 225, 23 February 1928, Page 2

DOMESTIC WORK.

INSTRUCTION AT HOME. Inspection by Sir James Parr. The High Commissioner for New Zealand made an exhaustive inspection of the hostel at Market Harboro wmcb has been sot up by the Australian Government tor the training of uomes tic for the Commonwealth. The Aus ti.nian Government, in common with those of other Dominions, lias been finding u Harder and harder to discover women willing ,o go overseas, and it has become almost impossible to get trained uomostics to migrate. New Zealand, wkieu has hitherto had no excessive diliicu. L_y in obtaining them, has this year been able to obtain only dO per cent, of its normal number, as these must show l vVo years’ previous experience in domestic service to qualify for ilie New Zealand free passage scheme. Australia has given up the idea that it can get a siuiieient number in the United .Kingdom of qualified domestics and has now set up the Market Harboro’ hostel to give a short domestic training to selected women of any calling whatsoever prior to their migrat ing to Australia. Sir Janies Parr, in conversation, stated that a scheme of this sort had two objections—expense and the doubt whether it would be better to train here or in New Zealand as has been so successfully done in the case of Flock House girls. The cost of training here would undoubtedly be greater, but there would be financial help from the Overseas Settlement Committee, wlreh takes an equal share with die Commonwealth in this hostel Impressed by Efficiency Sir James Parr was very struck by the efficiency of the scheme now under way at Market Harboro’, particularly as it had the advantage that the training here does give a chance of weeding out the unsuitable ou this side. He remarked on the keenness both of the girls and the staff, no of whom, by the way, Miss Jolly, i s a New Zealander with experience in domestic science teaching both in New Zealand and Australia. The house, which is a good middle-class English house capable of accommodating the 40 train-M.s and staff, is entirely run by the girls. Sir James examined the menus for a week and saw that they comprised go.ui plain English food such as a New Zeu land family would want. It is relevant to the description of this scheme to add that the hostel, which is dispatching 40 girls per mo itli to Australia, has boon sot on foot at less than the original estimated cost — a result due to the fact that th e Central Committee for Women’s Training which has already founded 800 courses of training, is experienced in this kind of work. The actual cost of fitting up the hostel was £OOO for structural h'i terations and repairs, including the installation of electric light, the provia*'’of a coal range in the kitchen and fit t«ng up the outside wash-house, and all the necessary equipment for train mg. This was considcrablv loss than £l2o° upon furnishing and providing tlie original estimate of cost.