The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-01
An EVERLASTING CONTENTION:
How tho Mattresses or Household In Glas.
gow Get AI0as With Their Servants.


The old case OF Mistress versus Servant I"
Is now up for argument in the Scotch city OF
Glasgow. and the papers there contain many
lively letters about 1t from both servants and
mistresses. The servants complain that they
arc not allowed to enjoy personal freedom or
social life: that they have to put up with the
supercilious ways Of their mistresses; that
their rooms and their food are often very poor.
and that they are apt to be scolded improperly
or to suffer from bad treatment The mis-
tresses complain that in many cases their SER
wants are incompetent, lazy. wasteful. slovenly.
untrustworthy. and always making demands
that cannot be granted.
One servant writes that she lately stayed
with mistress who. having charged her with
n trivial fault, became furious and threatened
to take her life. She made her eat the scraps
from tho plates. kept her busy cleaning up tho
house till after 10 o'clock at night. and other
wise Inundated her. She says that. after ten
sae hs NJ
few and far between"
Next comes a mistress who maintains that
most OF which are not worth talking about;
She has had servants who seemed to be good
hsf
and bothered her all the time. though she gave
ssyns aTs
''.pampered and unthankfui class" she adds:
service as we'll I as its disadvantases. In What
other service than domestic would they get the
wholesome food. without stint, which they get
good bed: and. above all. the. care in sickness
ana TIE Interest which; in At least the majority
Then comes q servant who says she herself
has no cause Of complaint. as she has u very
good mistress. who makes her comfortable
nd Infa liar frn mn m iVoFY n thaAN vnnI
from TIL 10: but still she thin Ks that servants
have fewer liberties than other classes Of
Herea masculine intruder makes his appear
59 @
ern women.S He believes that tho Institution
the members Of the household must do the he
work Of the house. with the help Of charwomen.
vants ThG h tsa
some mistresses seem to regard all servants ants
as simpletons not likely to resist abuse. She
make good servsnts yet she al eses ' That she
is s2Ss se w Sad hs od SstS Sa
that their lot ought to be improved. She says
that the servant may be superior to the mis-
may look down upon the servant She thinks
that rich mistresses should provide their ser.
wants with small libraries for use in the dull
Then there Is letter from mistress who
argues that domestic service should be looked
at from u business point Of view. Servants
wish to sell their labor and mistresses wish to
buy 1t: let each party make the best possible
terms IL serving women can do better In
some other pursuit than that In which they
are engaged. let them take 1t up Dressmakers.
shop girls. and factory girls must live closely
on small pay. while the yearly wages Of SER
wants In Glasgow are from 500 to $116. with
victuals and housing. Each OF her own maids
costs her $500 year for food and wages. and
there ought to DO good work for good pay.
moro closely confined than women In other en-
pigments, but In her house ut least, they are
not on the rush all tho time. She holds that
mistresses should seek the welfare OF their
household servants. saying:
AS much as possible should DO done to
make their work interesting and pleasant for
them, and they should do their utmost to make
1t satisfactory to their employers. The lot Of
a servant who has to 60 out for all her hap
piness 10 truly pitiable. but not more 30 than
that OF the unfortunate mistress who Is served
by o creature who takes no interest In her
work. and only looks for q chance to escape It
My own experience has been willing service
and happy faces about the house: and Il SER
servants who are faithful to their duties, and
who take kindly interest in tho household,
perhaps we should have more Of them. For
the sake OF servants such as these We must
not have all servants set down as bad. Less
suspicion and more sympathy on both sides
Thus the warfare between mistresses and
servants Is waged In Glasgow; and thus 1t Is
Waged In many other cities Of the world.