DOMESTIC SERVANTS' UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81880, 3 November 1906, Page 3

DOMESTIC SERVANTS' UNION.

"HOUSE ASSISTANTS'' Mr Barclay, M.H.R., is waimly espousing the Dome-tic Workers' tnioiij of course. The other evening lie addressed the mernin Wellington, and his remarks will hardly have the effect of solving the domestic sciv.ee problem. Some five or six years ago he introduced a short measure into the House to pre vide that all young ladies engaged in domestic work should be entitled io a week.y half-holiday. This was nowever, rejected. Speaking to a gathering of the young lad.es aforc■aid. Mr Barclay said lie did not consider the proposition of the domestic worker was what it should be and it could be impioved in many points. Contrasting domestic workers with shop assistants, he pointed out that domert.c servants very often went intu a house where they were to a large extent prisoners. They only got out to go home or to visit friends on rare occasions, and such a thing as a half-holiday was very rare. At the time he introduced his measure to the House, it seemed to him that in many ca-es wages were quite insufficient for the work performed. Then, again the social position of ■he domestic worker was not such as t should be. Their sleeping quartern were generally sma 1 back rooms, and the domestic was not treated aa girl who was doing useful and honourable work should be treated. When the shop girl went to a place .)■ business she »a-i called "Miss" Brown, or whatever her name might b:, but not su the domestic who was called plain "Maiy Jane" or "Poily Ann." luitinr, the shop assistant Had her regular hours and a weekly ■lalf-holiday. : .nd was treated by most employers us a young lady should be treated. it was £ut generally re membered t.iat the domestic worker performed duties exactly the same as .lie m.stres- or her daughters wouid have to do if they did not have a domestic. It was an honourable and rfu'ijiary work. The term "servant" was never applied to, mep's wcrk. and he tlicught it objectionab'e as applied to domestic workers. lie considered the most appropriate name that could he used was "house assistants," which was a dign:lied term explaining the exact position occupied. House assistants should certainly be treated no less respectfully .han the girl assistant in a shop is ncated and he was of opinion that the status should be improved and paced on a level with that of a nurse. A-- he had said before, domestic servants engaged in an honourable, use fu ! , necessary, work, and what excuse could be found for not placing them on the same social plane as the nurse or the young lady shop assistant. Referring to the hours worked the pcaker remarked that if his information was correct, some of the hours were verv long. He had a letter finm a Hnmosf ,- cr.jnl ~-lin n„t „n

fiom a domestic servant, who got up in G o'clock in the winter and earlier in the summer, and continued without a break until y o'clock at night. Sj long as the house assistants were nut united, so long would they have to labour under tha disadvantages which exist To ga n their end, they must combine. There were some places in which girls found themselves working under conditions which could only be regarded as little else than white slavery. In.New Zea! ■- 1 they had a judicial tribunal befo.. which they couid bring their case, and it would be duly considered and a decision given upon the subject. In conclusion Mr. Barclay said he did not eontend that the position of the house assistant is not better now than it

*\a» a few years ago. Throughout New* Zealand, generally speakingttie condition of tilings had improved consideraby, but there was still much to be done, and he trusted that they would stick to the union and back up ib officers. Mrs. Taskcr informed the meeting that the prospects of obtaining an award from the court were bright at present. It was not the intention of ihe union I" endeavour to cite every employer. They were simp'-y going lo get twenty of thirty together, and il everybody did not come to terms n a proper legal way. they must be brought into line. The present a most favourable time to form a union owing to the scarcity of domestic servants.