"TARANAKI CENTRAL PRESS.” WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1936. THE ANGEL IN THE HOUSE.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 299, 2 December 1936, Page 4

"TARANAKI CENTRAL PRESS.” WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1936. THE ANGEL IN THE HOUSE.

Does the domestic problem change very much with the years? Is there any parallel on record lor the modern unrest which attracts young womcA away from household duties to the brighter life ol a cinema usher, or an attendant in a dentist s rooms? A serious London journal, the “Church Times,” has lately suggested that there is no parallel and that the very stability of England may be affected; by living in flats, which has been induced by the shortage of maids. Elul Pepys had “a girle Mary” who suffered only from the “silly vanity that she must play,” and left his house declaring that “she must be where she might earn something one day, and spend it and play the next.” “Maydes” were as in-and-out in those days as they are to-day. And there were faults on both sides. When Sarah left, to Pepys’ sorrow, he said that “never servant and mistress parted upon such foolish terms in the world as they do—only for an opinion in my wife that she is ill-natured.” And he says “we made ourselves ; a little strange” to Sir William Penn and his family merely for re- , engaging the girl, so that they obligingly discharged her, or rather j “put her away.” Dorothy, "though she be a wench for her tongue I not to be borne with, yet I was loath to part with her.” Jinny, “a I giiie that was brought to-day for such a good one, being cleansed j cf lice by my wife and good new clothes put on her back, she runs’; away from goody Taylour that was showing her the way to the bake- I house.” At another time he wrote: “We have no luck in maydes.” i Alee, the cook-mayde, “would not bear being told of any faults in I the fewest and kindest words,” and left suddenly “after giving her i rr.’stresse warning Gckly for a quarter of a yeare together.” Luce , was a good drudge, “but she will be drunk.” • I I The maids on their part had much to put up with. Pepys | basted one with a broom and kicked another in his own entry; but j he was observed by Penn’s footboy,, to whom he had to be smiling j and pleasant, “as one without passion,” though he was “vexed to I the heart.” But with all this, there were good servants like Jane” who “came to us again to my wife’s and my great content. She have all the marks ajnd qualities of a good and loving and honest servant.” She was the rare “angel in the house,” but her modern counterpart is no rarer. Ihe trouble is to bring good maids and mistresses together. I his is a job lor some organisation that will view the problem psychologically.

Exp’ormg llie Labour Demand. The establishment of a harvest labour camp in the Waikato should prove an interesting experiment. Part of the difficulty in making the most of opporlunilies for employment arises from the disinclination of the employer of casual labour to engage men of whom he knov.s little or nothing. If he can sec the men at a nearby centre and can talk over him wants it will be more satisfactory to be th worker and employer. In this instance the Government will c-tablish the camp and thus help to bring (he worker and the possible employer together. J he Minister of Labour does not suggest that this will prove a olution of the sus'cnancc problem, and one cannot hope that it will. Many other methods will have to be tried, including training for new trades for those men who appear adaptable. When all is done ii will probably be found that there yet remain some who cannot hope lor employment at standard wages because of partial incapacity due to age, lack of training, or other reason. Yet even for these there should be something better than sustenance. Employers cannot be expected to engage them on equal terms with fully-competent work ers, but it should be possible, with the co-operation of the unions , and employers and under the supervision of the Labour Department, i Io arrange for their employment at a wage which fairly represents their earning capacity.