The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-05-05
The Servant Question in Germany.

the Eastern PROVINCES. ana. on NV AT-
rival. ] found the little town, the place
of my destination, in a regular turmoil
of excitement, because n newly-ap-
pointed minister had dared to preach
open rebellion of servants against their
masters. Upon inquiry, it turned out
that all this reverend gentleman had
advocated was kind treatment, enough
to eat, and a warm bed to sleep in, for
which unreasonable demands he was
hauled over the Goals and torn to pieces
by the evil tongues of all the old women
of both sexes the little town could boast
Of Their numberwas not small by any
means, l can assure YOU. One gentle
man especially, a high Government
official, in receipt of comfortable sal
airy of four thousand thalers a year, was
loud, above all others, in his denuncia-
lions of the unlucky pastor who, in his
zeal to do right, had made such an un-
propitious entry in the zeal for popular
favor.
why" cried this worthy function
airy, "it is simply absurd; servants have
bettered themselves fully sixty per cent
since / was a boy, and it seems there is
no end to their pretensions. Formerly
a cook used to get twenty-four thalers
a year, now it is thirty-six."
"Let me see; how much is that in
American money!
81 don't know
He was quite right. Fashionable So
ciety here is profoundly ignorant on
American subjects. They know that
the United States is q good place to
send their bad boys to; but beyond this
all is darkness and blissful ignorance.
Having gone through severe process
of mental arithmetic by computing
every one of those precious thalers into
groschen pfennings, and these again into
Uncle Sans money, came to the con-
clusion that the wages of German cook
were S25.74 IL year.
"Of course, continued my authori-
ty, "these are cooks who know their
business as well as our lasts. House
maids get less, and nurses, who take
care of our children, least.
''May ask, please, what you pay
! such a nurseP'
about eighteen thalers year"
''That means little over three cents
a day?"
81 am ignorant of the value of Amer
lean money.
sin Helena, Montana, in Portland
Oregon, and, in fact, throughout the
entire golden Northwest, they pay an
ordinary servant-girl thirty dollars q
month, besides board and lodging"
''How much is that in our money!"
zone hundred and twenty-five marks
month"
"Hushr'
A neatly-dressed servant girl APP
preached us, all smiles, with a tray, on
which she carried some cups of tea, a
sugar-bowl, several hagons of cut glass
containing choice brandies to flavor the
tea with, and an assortment of cakes.
When we had helped ourselves the girl
proceeded to the next group, for it is
the custom at all evening parties IN
Germany that tea precedes supper,
which is partaken of by the gentlemen
hat in hand and standing. We re-
sumed our conversation.
lyon don't say sop
81 can assure you"
Thirty dollars a month"; That is
fearfulr'
"Those are only ordinary wages; a
cook gets fifty"
''Fiftyr'
Yes; and so does cowboy and q
laundress; or, what is pretty much the
same, Chinaman.
Il am perfectly amazed"
''Well you may be-"
He stood silent for a moment, ther
said in whisper:
''My dear, sir, will you do me very
great favor?"
''With all my heart.
"You viii not be offended by my re
quest?'
''By no means"
''Well, then, don't tell US anything
more about America
Here is the whole emigration ques
ton in n nutshell. The German 4'uppe
ten' want to keep their cheap labor
Moreover, they want to keep their labo
cheap, and for this reason they are dea
to all reasonable demands, and do no
want to know anything about the hom
of the brave and the land of the free
where labor finds its true reward, AM
honest labOrers are respected by every
body
A family in tolerably easy circum
stances in New York will get alon
with one girl, and pay her decen
wages. A family, surely not better of
in this country want six, and pay then
what Americans would call nothing a
all; but they are bound to have ther
all the samoa cook, nurse, a maid,
washer-woman, an ironer, a coachmar
perhaps.
will not SANDER the noble Germa
Nation, whose many beautiful traits {