Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-22
COOPERATION.
BY CHRISTINE TERHUNE HERRICK.
fCopnrinhted. 1881

PART 1.
In "Put Yourself in His Place" Charles
Reade has illustrated the wonderful power
possessed by trades unions to make or
mar wOrkmen. Although the existence
OF similar organizations among the SER
want Glasses OF our country is not openly
acknowledged, there are few who Will
contradict the fact OF their being.
There may be no formal sessions, no
printed constitutions, but the meetings
are none the less frequent nor the bylaws
less strictly enforced. Any one who de-
fleets from the course prescribed for her
is Cstracised by the guild aud subjected
to series OF petty humiliations which
generally succeed IN driving her back
into the ranks. Every employer is aware,
more or less distinctly, of the presence
and sway of this Dameless power which
dominates nearly all the kitchens on this
side of the Atlantic. 1t is pity, and
fault, that mistresses do not band together
for mutual protection. Not that, by so
doing, they need array themselves in
antagonism against employees. The So
called su bordinates have forced the former
into position OF selt-defense, but this
need be nothing worse than an armed
truce. The question has become trite
through much iteration, but it is pertinent
and ought to be weighty.
Why DO not the mistresees cooper
ate?
Cooperation has been alternately the
despaIring hope and buebear of Ameri-
can housewives. In what branch OF men
and wOmen's work has it not been tried?
Every one remembers 1--WE Girls" and
the success Of their scheme. We pass
over the suggestion made by more than
one reader that the Holabrds were an
exceptional rather than a representative
family, nor stay to weigh the doubt of the
practical workings of the fair system in
less evenly balanced households. Hith-
erto there has been fatal want of COR
relation between plan and practice in the
various cooperative kitchens, laundries,
dry goods and grocery stores. ETC., which
have been tried and abandoned In some of
our large cities.
To alter the phrase-Why do not the
mistresses form trade union? That
they more often pull IN contrary direc-
tions than together will be attested by
indignant hOuseWIv who have found a
total want OF esprit de corps where they
had looked for friendly support.
One instance will recall similar expert
enceS to many.
Mrs. B. had taken and trained raw
Scotch girl into an excellent cook, had
wild gawk who entered ner service would
not have been recognized in the trim maid
who appeared devoted to the family she
served. One day, in the second year of
her residence under the friendly roof,
Janet presented herself before Mrs. b.
with an air OF effrOntery that badly con-
cealed her real embarrassment, and
announced that she had taken service
with a neighbor, in whose family Mrs
B. was at all times warmly welcomed
guest.
Have you found my work too hard,
JanetY' inquired The mistress. "Or have
you been unkindiy treated by any of us?"
"Oh, no, ma'am. [ like the place real
well, an never have bad an uukind word.
Yourself has been an angel to me sim !
turst set foot in your door But Mrs. G
heard tell as | was nice cook and tidy
body an offered me 80 cents a week more
nor my wage with you if | would come to
her. An girl mum do the best she can
tor herself, you ken, ma'am." The case
is not an isolated one. Most hOusekeep-
ers will confirm the assertion that the
practice is unpleasantly common. The
readers of Mrs. Beecher's earliest work,
From Dawn to Daylight" will remem-
Der that when she was i'll with malarial
fever in the Western town where her hus-
bands charge then lay, her one servant
was cOaXed away from her by a member
of the parish by the bride of quarter of
dollar more a week than Mrs. beecher
could afford to pay. The nefarious prac.
tice is not confined to any particular
locality. New England housemothers
lament and suffer from it with their
Western sisters, and it springs and riots
with ragweed In the Middle States aud
wire grass in the Southern.
Mrs. s., wealthy New Yorker, relates
this story:
Wishing to find situation as maid of
all work for a prOtegee of my cook,
allowed her to advertise from my house,
Applications were surprisingly numer-
Gus, and Eliza had no difficulty in suit
ing herself with a place. She pledged
herself TO enter upon her new duties on
given day. and the matter was considered
settled. When another lady called some
hours later to see the "girl who had adj
vertised,' she was told that il was USE
less to have an interview With Eliza,
since she was already engaged. The
visitor was not so easily rebutfed. She
had come to get this girl and insisted
upon holding a conference with her. After
ten minutes catechising, she declared
herself so highly pleased that she must
have her at any price, and forthwith
offered 50 more per month than the wages
that other person. Simple Eliza, fat
tered and perpleXed, came up to me for
advice.
"'But you promised to go to the other
lady, represented.
"'Yis, men, faltered the girl. But
this one do seem 80 anxious to get me, an
there's the 81 month mem. It's a dale
for poor gurrel.'
81 told her that promise was a pro-
mise, and that she would be both UNI
truthful and dishonest if she broke this
one. Ii was high compliment TO my
el0quence when she consented to return
TO the waiting guest with a negative an
swer. The reputed lady received what
she entitled my interference in dudgeon
50 pronounced that it reached my ears in
the second story. she refused TO con-
slder the answer as final aud left her
address lin case the poor girl shou ID
think better OF it and consult her true in
terest.
"Ruug IA on Bile" Pulls.