DOMESTIC SERVANTS

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 28 February 1913, Page 4

DOMESTIC SERVANTS

AND THE TRADE COMMISSION".

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, Last Night. At the sitting of tlio Dominions' Royal Commission to-day, Lady McLean an<J Mrs H. L, Ferguson presented a memorandum on the subject of the serious shortage in domestic servants. This,stated that the shortage is having a iseriou® effect on the well-being of the women of the- Dominion and lias a restraining effect, on the ilrirtli-rate. The type of servant; > most .widely useful was the cookgeneral ; but there was a large opening for country-ibred girls, who would ■adapt themselves to country life. Jf girls could be sent out between the ages of 15 to 19, and have six months training in colonial ways, there would bo no difficulty in finding work for them. -Each province, i.e., Otago, Southland, Cantenbuj-.v, Westlahd, Nelson, and Marlborough in the South Island, and Wellington, Hawke's Bay. New Plymouth and Auckland m the 'North Island, could absorb, say, during the year, 3000 'women workers—--500 to each of the lairge centres, sav at the rate of 125, every three months. Considerable dissatisfaction was expressed with the arrangements on shin-board in regard to the carrying of girls. It would be better if singlw girls came out separately. If not "on a ship of their own, tliev should be | kept separate from married people. Ihe life on hoard ship had some effect in unsettling'tlw girls for colonial lifeMrs .Menzies, who was in the Mother for over is pven years at ran f'V for 'women to nne to Now Zenland, said that more knowledge of Ne<v Zarlnnd should he diffused throughout the Homeland.