The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-08-10
IGts az Interest
10 Women Readers.
Symposium Of Information, Partly Grave.
Partly Cosby and Partly Gay.

They have the new woman In Aus
tralia. and a writer In the WOman's
Voice OF Sydney. N. S. W.. suggests
employment for her. This writer be-
lieves that there Is a wide field for q
labor bureau which shall undertake to
supply on demand skilled women. to
be engaged by the hour or the day at q
fixed rate, but not to be provided with
. home at the place Of employment.
Many householders whose work re-
Quires servant, but whose house room
- not sufficient to afford lodging for
one. would be glad to engage a eompe-
tent woman for few hours a day or
for one or two hours week. II they
Were only sure of having the hours
work done and the engagement kept
regular. Girls who value their free
dom and dread the ordinary relation Of
mistress and servant. the writer thinks.
might do well at this casual work.
One Of the greatest objections to do
mestic service made by the best and
most methodical workers. namely. that
a servants work is never done. would
then disappear. A housewife under
this system could contract with q
TCoupctcHt turce
or afternoons on which certain work
should be done. so much sweeping, so
much scrubbing or dusting. and the
preparation Of a dinner, and on those
afternoons or mornings the housewife
could do her needlework or her visiting.
while on other days she could attend
to her household work herself or with
= the aid of her daughters or Of cheaper
and less skilled hired help. The de-
wiser of this scheme has in mind no
such slaveys as women commonly have
in for the day to do the work of a char
woman. but intelligent persons with
whom housework Is a trade as carpen-
terng Is with a man. The housewife
will define the work and expect only
days work for a days pay, while the
skilled houseworker by trade will be
ashamed to spend three or four hours
IN doing what could be done in one
hour. The establishment Of a labor
bureau and the classification Of work
into skilled and unskilled, thinks the
writer in the Woman's Voice, will make
1t plain to employer and employed that
even for housework there needs a def
mite period Of apprenticeship and a sys-
tenn Of examinations and certificates
1t has too long been taken for granted
that women are all born housewives
They are not so any more than men
are born carpenters and blacksmiths
The wonan's labor bureau should have
house where girls could be trained in
cooking, washing. ironing, house
cleaning. and like trades. Such
house. 1t Is suggested. might be almost
self-supporting, as girls out of work,
but with some money saved. could go
thither for lessons. and the casual
workers. already discussed, could make
1t their home. 1t would, in fact, be at
once college of household arts. an in
telligence office. and boarding house.
A housewife who wished to have lam
made. dinner table adorned, or a sup
per prepared could apply to the SUPER
intendent Of such house with the GER
tainty OF obtaintnK competent help.
Il Il II
Mary A. Ford is q woman who takes
an optimistic view Of the future Of her
sex. In an address recently delivered
by her before the Chicago Society for
Ethical Culture. Mrs. Ford described
the varying condition Of woman in the