The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1879-09-27
House Servants.

termed q newspaper nuisance-this is my first effort.
l have a real grievance, and must at least see It IN
print, Jonathan CHATS our husband) says it will
do no good. Talk it up, he says, with my neigh
bors ; bless me, 1 have done it. until my neigh
bors are afraid 10 see me, and all about servants,
and especially cooks. I am no politician, and none
of our family belong to the Board Of immigration.
l don't care where a good cook comes from, or
where a poor one goes to neither do l know any
thing about our laws or servant and masters Act.
But it seems to me by the servants actions that the
Acts are pretty much on their side.
I never speak of myself much less write, but
know L am kind and considerable to my servants
especially the cook. Never speak above my breath
and always in a kind and suggestive way. Often
with tears in my eyes, which have no more effect
on them than sweet oil on a craven image !; Ihave
had any quantity of cooks within the past few years
some fair, others pOOr-but the majority worth
less cooks and worthless creatures.
How do 1 get my cooks The same way in which
others do. 1 suppose. Pay So or SO for hunting
one up ask my neighbours cook to look round for
one Of their honest ~ friends for me, and by and
bye they come around and take a survey Of my
self and the surroundings, ask I" how many time
eatee, how many times cookee," &C., SC. If 1 have
only been cooking for q few days 1 am perhaps a
little stiff, although respectful in my answers.
Give the number of little ones, age and appetite, and
say that the pot must boil three times a day. This
is " too mucbee,' and away they 60. After having
done duty in the cook house for ten days or more, l
begin to wilt, and ready to drown q few Of the young
ones and accept two meals a day, and no lock on
the pantry. II we have lunch in the middle Of the
day, its my business and my work. 1 cannot ask
the cook to come from his work flor be it known he is
also running a coffee shop of his own) in the middle
of the day. This would subject him to leave just
three times each day. and the leaving is just where
the tax comes in-whether you see it or not.
asked Mrs. B. the other day how she got along
with her cooks. e" She thought she had a prize, and
she tried to behave herself in her very best; set
lunch for him to keep him from coming home at
noon, and did other little things-such as chopping
the frewood and cleaning the kitchen. But it was
no use. He broke ever so many more dishes in his
hurry to get away. His coffee shop was unprof-
table to me in many ways. He never goe home to
cook the dinner until just about time to put it on the
table. 1t was never half cooked-and all after my
raising his wages from SIS to Sc per week.
This was my experience over and over, and although
1 hardly ever complain or speak about my cooks lin
fact ladies never do) or our troubles with Chinese
servants. 1 was just giving q California lady an ink
ling of my troubles, in this respect, a short time ago,
who in the most abrupt way stopped me by saying:
"a They serve you right, 1 am glad oft. When peo-
pie do not know how to treat their servants they
should be served So" This took me a back, for /
did think l had treated my servant over well.
" Yes" she said, " you housewives in Honolulu try
1 am told, how much you can outbid each other in
your monthly pay to your cooks and servants. Think
! il no small hAnnE a-ha- able As 49, Reu-nag ynaEA than
or permit him, which is all the same-so that he
can engage in some other business, taking your
time, and not unlikely your pantry is taxed more or
less each time they leave"
l told Jonathan what Mrs. B. said, and although
an observant and quiet man in all other respects, he
will get a little excited on cooks. He said, Mrs.
b. was quite right. In no other country would the
people allow their cooks or servant to scamper round
town four or five hours each day. 1t was neither
just or honest and We never would have help until
such practices were stopped. In California a cook
or servant would not think OF leaving the house in
the day time without leave; in China,-whichm means
also Hougkong,-they can neither leave night or
day without permission; and any infraction from
these rules does not mean q case in the police court,
when the master has to pay whether he wins or
lOOses; but a more pointed and less costly mode of
justice is dealt out"
Now, dear me I had forgotten 1 was writing for
q paper, 1 have not yet said what I want to see advo-
Gated in your paper on this subject. We need East
India labor for our house servants. Turn these
thieving Cinnamon out and into the fields. Have
laws passed that servants cannot leave their employ
ment (unless in special casey during working hours.
As our laws now stand Jonathan says) a man or
servant may 60 away several hours or nearly the
whole day, if not two days, and you cannot arrest
him under a contract but that you can sue for
damages. The damages and costs you may charge
up to your already over-grown account, against the
servant. If you think well of my ideas on paper, 1
will make them more full next week.
Mrs. JONATHAN HAYNEs.l