Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1895. THE DOMESTIC HALFHOLIDAY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5123, 3 September 1895, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1895. THE DOMESTIC HALFHOLIDAY.

A copy of a Bill has reached us—' another Labour Bill—entitled " Domestic Servants' Half-Holiday," Mr J. W. Kolly, of Invereargill, is the promoter of it, a self-made man from Lanarkshire, it tailor by trade, but a sad botcher, we fear, as a legislator, He is, however, a Secretary of a Trade and Labour Council, and President of it, fihearcis' Union, and goes in hot and strong for labour] legislation, We presume that from J his point of view the average domestic is lacking in intelligence, ' and unable to hold her own in this • Colony. Therefore the . legislature has to come to her aid, If Mr Kelly and his friends oidy legislated for horses itnd asses, thoiiposition would be unassailable, because beasts of burden do not possess the ability to protect themselves from overwork, but in the case of domestic servants, they are usually able to look after themselves, If Sarah or Jane finds that she is put upon in any pla-co she may fill, she usually gives a week's notice, and she never has any difficulty in securing another situation. A really ellicicnt domestic can make her own terms with her employer without the aid of Kelly, 'ii.li.li., ffi") '»« colleagues. 11 is very often tho u».l|)tit the mistress, tho head of the household, ewnot get it half-holiday, and cannot, when sho is over-worked, throw up jier employment, but the domestic ran always help herself. The point that labour members fail tp see is that they do the domestic servant inpre harm than good by interfering: between her and hercm'ployer. They i can indeed insist upon the domestic ' receiving a halMiolidayeycry Thursday, but the mistress is unlikely to take a forced measure like this in a ' kindly spirit. She will probably i retaliate by making tho domestic : work longer hours at other times or 1 by reducing her wages. At the. present time mutual good feeling' , regulates the relationship between t injsfress and servant and does more i fortimlnte,thaiianynctof Parliament can do, 'i'/ipM stupid labour members step in with' j coercion bill Jo destroy all pleasant' i and profitable' intercourse between • mistress and .sqryartt, and who on ' I earjh asks ttjehi ft interfere.? V