The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-05
COOPERATIVE HOUSEWORK.
Why Should Not Domestic Service lie
Done by OrganizatiOns:
London Truth.

Why should not staff of servants be or
ganized to do. at any rate, the rougher part
of the domestic service m say, ntty OF
hundred federated households, just IN the
same way that a single staff could be or,
Sanized to cook their meals? why shouu
/ not pay so much year, either 10 Doha-
fide cooperative society or to d pIlNdle
Spectator, to have my beds MADE my
floors scrubbed. my knives ana DOCS oot5
cleaned, and other similar work pertorlnie19
at stated hours every day and every Weth
The agency which undertook TO perform
this service would organize its workers Just
do other agencies which at preseilt "i,
dertake to keep cur gardens IN orueI, ~
clean our boilers, sweep our chimnte,iys , 81
clean our bicycles; and the labor dllnculty
which meets us in domestic service as ~
present organized would consequently D0
eliminated. al.
But I hear a female voice exclaim, DO
you wish us to do without resident seif 49, slil.s
altogether? Who is to answer lhe JUL
bring up afternoon tea, and be at hand sem zen.
orally to perform any small service a oou-
the house when wanted? Wen, OF COul -
my dear madam, / am arguing on t"s 80 ~
sumption that you are unable to get ssIE-
ants as it is, and / am endeavoring 10 SNOW
you how to do without them ii you - -
no servant at present. or nave oniy Il So
ant whom you would rather be without YOU
will be no worse off under my system li'sl'
you are already, even though you nd 1vtS++ie
answer the door yourself or Doll the ~ ~
for your own tea. But my impression =
that if the cooking and the rougher pdit -
the housewOrk were dealt with IN tle d,s{s
Guilty whatever in finding domesucs loI ~
lighter kinds of work from among the sIc@t
army of middle-class girls who are al Pie -
ent earning a beggarly pittance, anu -
many cases working for nothing az sD,
ernesses, lady nursemaids ana holHe'
helps. ha,
Again and again in these columns, ~, 49,
I have come across pitiful tales Of the hdI"
ships of the lot of this class or laulvs, -
have advised them to give up the pIe1SaiIS
at gentility which at present limits the No.
open to them and go boldly into d9nle9 ~
service as housemaids. parlor malus - 80
ladies' maids But again and AGAIN 49, 49,,
/ have made this suggestion, l nave 49, 49,
met with the answer that as long as 49,
are rougher servants in the house the poSit,
tinn az a .Iady servant" among them y
intolerable ! do not myself believe mn 1
in this argument but l dare say IL lIlile
ences a certain number OF young W Won. -
and what / would point out now IS ina I.
you have the rougher housework done ~
contract (whether through COOPER. "a
society or q private contractor TINS III -.
culty disappears altogether. There need &c
no Servants of the working class IN tle
house and the lady. domestic viii nave 'A0
field 10 herself s,ss
1T strikes me that there must be hundfeuss
and thousands OF girls at present emplosSsu
as mothers helps, nursery goVerness.Sses'
who would be Infinitely better off Il berlnS,
could be provided for them as genera
servants in houses where the meals wStv
sent in and all the housekeeping done ~ ~
contract. so that the work of the geneIsn,i, .
was limited 20 opening the door bIlns si,a9
up tea. and a few other light jobs Oh lA1''
description.