Barmaids.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 691, 18 November 1876, Page 2 (Supplement)

Barmaids.

WerbVer thare is a im^oi population, thee is a spirited ompeticiou of paolio Dj,-*, where a bewildering v*rioiy of drinks Iroai cold crystalline lemonade to burning braudy i* ao(d ; and as m*iu are senUmeuLiti even iv Gheir thirsc, it is demanded by modern aooiotv that ' duuks. ' shall be dispensed by the hauda ot fair young girls : h.euue • that familiar peruouage, ironically called * ' ummcy ' the baruiuid. Happily B ho id coutiaed to town* and cities. It you call mc tha ioad-iide mn, or cater the viiijage pubuu-houdd, you will ooc c««o a OArinaid, uuo a baruiaa. it u ueueruljy a atouo cauucryajnu \v4o oauji oacdnaka to Cae pArctitid piflaougors iv (joou's cuiiuties le is uot » yoututm uArtaaid who draga cut) ■hepberds ' dualt* ' »( Cariatmag, and aaiutu him by muaoi at artfalmesn nnd übuinicald to ' kuock Aowo bi» ouuqae.' I'Uat bu»mu.a is u»n»liy mauM£ud by a w«dded couple about equally lar advuuoed iv ye*M and ouaaiug. it. i« only whore populations are maa«ed that men hqi fastidious about the hands Whioh supply their UnrsDy cravingg, and otaim a bold »t,-ire at, and a f<kuiuiar chau with, a protny girl, ay wqll at » glaw of oi>tudy, tor i>ue munitiotiut [aum ot uupence. 4H iv everything ei«e, tv« Uoui*ua uruatea i ihe »app,iy. /u i*y trade, piobably, u th^re i a biiuAdr couapuutfou than in |aac of a publican, iibw uo mauy licensed hoi)seg contrive to nud tr»do in Syduey u a oalHiug Pfy^iery sq outsiders, jijodoube the mvacer*oe gustoipa of an Aoylo fej*<ofl pdopj« are their chief buELroßseß ; but ifto puonoaus hud it ueouMaiy m thwr busineu utnfu to couhulc and pauder to the Uste of thoir :mtomers by placing a young woman behind tho bar, and she wins her wages and serves her employer's interest Juy making hsrsalf as ongagiug as possible. Hundreds of youug women earn their living m that way in Sydney and its suburb*. Some of tnaia— tbosd nolding auuatiou* in fits i-cl*s« huCuls are girls of con«iderable perajual attractions, ocoAsionally, indeed, of rare beauty, and they dress richly, if with rather advanced taste ; bui the ohbi Fauces down to the ' paincta diviames ' who may ue seen in th« driDkbhopi ot the back streets, and whoso misorftbie buuuoui ni« to dupuuse ohuap smiles aujUdu.iorated o«ady n> dissipated loit«roii< Tuij cyduoui ol Dariumils t-u-juia bo con4«iouvd m thg luteivOio ot tn« young wotneu chtDiie^ds. may oe ongwurou m ftu they do not object t<> the lifs, that they raiuot Ukoit, aud (bat there ure in.T« \on<.<wouiou willing to take those situations than toere are sUUAtiuas 10 bo takeu : an whic may b« true, but buiu^true ao>a noi iwuuu tbfe qu»Btion oi »he imrinciu uuli u#-aj ot .. 1,-iiin.idh rinici Iji a in muss yjmicr , r j li\f U U 110 ill cX C, luaui .t ) I. Jl.icUK 3 aIM k\l iktUß to pi jv'l or aiio.v Lh*t „ 0-.iuiAi.i-, »oi» v, njii pi .per Horn tor m y^au^ iwmiu. 'rlaif « d»y'a obaerTKHoo in uny piiblw-houao

in the city, would bo argument enough to convince any candid nature. Selling strong drinks means a good deal of contact with strong drinkers. Making liberal allowance for those who simply enter public b«rs to quench their thirst, nobody doubts that pubho-houses are supported to a very great extent by those who are more or less the viotim9 of drink ; and consequently the atmosphere of these public bars is often foul in more senses than one. How much of blasphemy and bow much of drunken quarrels must young women hear in such places And when men are under the influence of drink they are not particularly nice in the remarks they address to young girls of attractive pretence. They are often particularly vulgar in what they say. Barmaids hare to hstea to a great de»l from their accidental admirers which no modest girl ahould hear. There are always plenty of dissipated, unmanly fellows, who are only too glad to whisper to one of the other sex, what should never pass their own fowl lips. Public dnnking-bars are some of the popular evening resorts of dissolute men, whose conversation is too often as malodorous as their I breath ; and constant exposure to thinlyveiled indecent remaiks must imperil the womanhood of bmmaids. Tnere is another objection to the ayßtem of employing younp? woinea as barmaids, of minor importance as compared with the objection already nude, yet ot serious intrinsic importance. It is the unhealthiness of the work. The few who preside at the bars of firit-class hotels may not be overworked in the number of hour* per day, and their hotels are usually ia positions wnere there is a- tolerably pure air Bub the strain on the nhyncal nature with the large majority of birauidn must be far too heavy. Their duties reach from pretcy early in toe morning till midnight;. Almost through the whole of thii time they have to stand. Ttie sir of most AiiHtralian towns and cities is contaminated quit's enough by the defective drainage, but the air of the average bar-room is furthur foaled, especially in the evening, by the breath of a number of dissolute drinkers, and tha fumes of tobacco Add to that the coarse excitement of which there in so much, and which imposes so severe a • train upon tho nerves. Wh.it is the consequenco? That btrmaids become with two or three years' soivice home of she moss unhealthy young womea iq our cities. To ace some of them early in the morning is to see a pitiful picture of wrecked health. Aud to see chem thus is to have it unpleasantly impressed upon yon that in order to present an atti active appearance laler in the d.iy they must got, tnemielves up artificially fho uiiuaiih mast, be panned over. Thdsa two rt-iaoau — toe straiu on modesty, aad the str.au on health — woutd justify any soci* 1 ref)rtner in pro.u-iUtig <ij,m i-iu cae HVdieiu of barmaids lv the iuDerostdo f oho y.>uu4 wovun ihemsjlveß. -[From the Sydney Aldil.'