The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-01-18
HOUSEHOLD.
Household Service Reform--G Goodbye TO
servants-Good Cheer for
Mistress.

itself into two heads: first. What Gun be-
done with the servant girl! To this i
believe the answer must be,-Nothing:
second, What can DO done without herr
To this think the response may safely
be, Everything. The domestic SER
want is going because the democratic
spirit OF the age. which is naturally
more intense In this country than in any
other, has rendered and is every year
still further rendering the relation OF
personal seryitude unpopular Domes-
tics ervice impliesa sacrifice Of personal
dignity in the relation Of the employee
20 the employer, which at the present
day in this country is required OF no
other class of workers and would be en-
dured by one.
In former times all who worked for a
man or woman in any sort OF employ
ment were called their servants, and in
turn called their employers master and
mistress. To-day, however, in America
domestics only are called servants: and
the title of mistress, on the other hand.
is exclusively reserved for the employer
of domestic workers Imagine mill
owner speaking of his operatives. as his
ervants, and how long he would find
anybody TO work for hint He may cut
his help down TO starvation wages; they
may wear rags and eat fare which the
domestic servant would scorn, but he
does not venture 20 call them. nor does
anybody think of calling them his SER
wants.
There is no intention here Of blaming
employers as class for the invidious
conditions of domestic service. They
are inherent In the situation aud can
not even by the utmost consideration
l.. II. 81 he. I.tt ~
the domestic TO the HOUSEHOLD, 10 the in
timacies OF which, while neither guest
or friend, she must he admitted is in
deed, only made possible or tolerable by
an attitude OF personal self-eifacement
on her part, and the convention OF
caste distinction between herself and
her employers.
The democratic spirit, however, tends
constantly to cultivate and stimulate
the sentiment of personal dignity and
equality and Co abolish class and caste
distinctions of every sort. The ncom-
patibihty of the two must. therefore,
constantly increase.
Indeed, as we look into the subject
we are struck by the fact that, but
for foreign importations, domestic SER
vitude would have become extinct in
America long since. Nearly a century
ago the American girl OF native stock
gave her final notice, and had the Irish
girl come over in the nick OF time TO
take her place, the impossibIlity OF Sc
curing domestics would long ere this
have necessitated the evolution OF
which / shall speak under the second
head of this article.
The Irish girl, in large proportion OF
cases, by the time she had learned
enough OF the WAYS Of the country to
become a capable domestic. had breath
cd too much OF its air TO relish the posi-
ton the American girl has already re-
linquished. Then came the Swedish and
German girl, the Canadian, and the
Nova Scotian. But alas this exasperat-
ing American air soon worked the same
change in them. The rich gloss OF in
herited servility which had taken a
dozen centuries to grow, wore thread
bare, as a rule, at the end of six month
on this side OF the water.
should not feel justified in saying
anything calculated TO deepen the pres
ent dependency Of American house
wives as Co the prospect Of ever finding
in this world the ideal servant girl,
were IL not merely by way OF prepare
ton for a branch of the subject as full
of exhilaration as is the other Of de-
preston, namely, the question, what we
can do without the servant girl.
Housework is divisible into three gen
eral branches: laundry work; chamber
and parlor work with cleaning; and
cooking, including table-service. Now.
as 10 laundry work, the means for re-
lieving tho household service OF IL are
already largely evolved aud 20 q con-
siderable extent are at present being
used by those concerned. A large mum
Der Of families, especially in the cities.
are in the habit OF sending all their
washing 10 the public laundries, and
many more do 50 occasionally. The
main objection TO this course is the ex-
pense. Their expensiveness arises from
the fact that they do business on n small
scale, that they are uncertain OF their
patronage and that they are run for
profit The laundry element in the
household-service problem, can only be
solved by a cooperative Laundry. based
upon guaranteed work OF sufficient
amount Go allow OF the best plan in ex.
istence and doing wor.. absolutely at
cost. The first cooperative laundry OF
this sort which was started on a basis
OF some hundreds OF regular patrons,
would revolutionize h)usework in
America. The matter is an exceedingly
simple one. All the ladies have TO do
Is TO call meeting, appoint managers,
draw up plans and solicit pledges OF pa.
tronage and funds
There are many families which, hav-
ing to employ girl for chamber work
would not find IL profitable TO put their
washing out even at the low figures OF
the cooperative laundry. Obliged for
other purposes TO employ domestic,
they find IL desirable to let her do the