New-York tribune., 1886-11-08
SERVANTS " AGES
terprise.

Some one writing 10 the Contributors
Club of The atlantic Monthly for the current
month discusses the curious fact that the wages
of female servants have not been reduced since
the war. but continue at the height depreci-
ted currency then raised them to. The con-
tribntor WAC raises the question thinks the TACT
ia an evidence of the uubuslnesslike ways OF
women they having as a rnle the domestic adj
ministration in their hands. The subject is
certainly an interesting one, and it is also OF
practical Importance to numb bers OF people. Inc
case too. seems TO show that wages may be
kent at a high rate vi ithodt organization on the
side of the workers, which is in itself peculiar
But perhaps it is not accurate to say that se-v-
ants have no organization. Tne system OF IN
telllgence Offices operates to some extent much
"A a trades union would 1t enables the women
to combine against reduction OF wages and to
mt in force kind of boycott against such as
seek to obtain service for less than lthe current
rates. rls nJl lbyer', On Ghsr sils, have no
protective organization whatever, nor does 1t
appear probable tnat they can have such de-
fence, and they also help to keep wages high by
idiing against one another for servants.
There are many curious circums mstances in the
servant-grl situation, which, indeed, appears in
more than one respect to defy the alleged laws
of political economy. Bsfore agreeing that The
atlantic Moathlys contributor is justified in
putting the resp ,nsibllity for the anon .lous
wa yes of servants altogether upon the wIn,n
VINO employ them, it is necessary to inquire
how. if at all, these women could control the
rate of wages IL an individual resolved to pay
n more than the al to- oellum " .gss she wDud
unquestionably discover in a short time that 1t
was impossible to obtain servants at those
rates. or course if all the mistresses of city or
State should agree to pay no more than the
old wages some effect might follow, though
quite possibly even then it wnuld be dlsa-
greeable one. In the absence of any harmony OF
action, however, no employer can resist the GUS
tomary de nands OF the servants. Th ;re is no
reason in the general conditions for the main
tenance of the current wages. Compared with
those IN Dther branches OF labor they are clearly
TO, high anl considering the average value
of the services rendered, abSurdly 80. In fact
tbey bear no relation to efficiency as rule. the
rawest recruits being often the sturdest stick
lers for payments such as they never dreamed
of in their native country.
But it is difficult to see how mon could do
any Detter tnau womoh iu tie HisCor. IL bhoy
attempted to apply the principles which govern
N Ne labor they would find that the conditions
were not identical; that it was ,auch easier to
deprive themselves of help altogether than to
get the help they wanted at their own price !;
that primitive freemasonry took the place or
trades-unionism among the girls, and gavo
them practically quite a solid front; aud that,
having usually only themselves to support, the
servants were really moro independent chan
male laborsrs with wives aud children depend
ing upon them. Way it Is that percentages at
lie ,st Of the gro Vt army OF women Who are slav-
ing for wretched pay at industrial occupations
do not go into service in preference 1t ID dilh-
cult TO IN lerstanl, for the opportunity would
seem tempting. The position of mo iern
servant girl ia afiluence compared with that o'
these serfs Of commerce. and perhaps II thel