Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-15
MANAGEMENT OF SERVANTS
A Difficult Problem for Even the Best Of
Housekeepers.
Some Sensible Suggestions ms 10 the
Division of Lnbors, Wages and
Evenings Out.


From Harpcr's Razar
1t is pity that in this country there
| are no rules regulating the wages privi-
leSes and duties of domestics in our em-
! ploy. To great extent each housekeep-
er must be a law unto herself. and there
! is no higher power to which she can refer.
! The only interchangeable rule for the mis-
tress see TO be, when in doubt, discharge
| your servant.
This habit of change the part Of
| be tn mistress and domestics is "A growing
! ore. Sometimes a careful adjustment or
| an even disposition of duties would do
away with the necessity of a oeremotory
dismissal. Housekeeping is a business, and
the housewife must bring to bear upon IL
| business methcGs.
In many cases lack of proper system
is at the root of the evil Upon one do
| mestic the heaviest burden of the work
devolves. while another in the same house
has what in servant parlancc is known az
"n easy place
Question of Wages.
On the question of servants wages there
can be no fixed law, as prices differ I'm
different localities. A proficient cook IN
fashionable part of town, and I'm the en-
ploy OF a millionaires WIFE, will demand
and receive double the wages that are
earned by her equally proficient sister
whose employer is neither wealthy nor
/ in that section of the city which Dame
Fashion claims especially as hers. man
| always receives higher wages sery-
ant than does woman. He is i'm domes4
| tic service what may be called "a fancy
article. and must be paid for accordingly.
! The experience of housekeepers goes &c
| prove that a butter is often not only eX-
! pcnsive, but an unsatisfactory luxury, and
| his place in many houses has been sup
piled by neat maid, white what is known
| as "a furnace man does the work that
| is too heavy for a woman. This function
| airy is generally In the employ Of half
| dozen families living the same street,
and his duties are to keep the cellar clean,
attend to the furnace and clean the side
walk in front of the house. Each family
| pays him about 81 month. He will also
| wash windows at the rate of 10 cents per
window, and beat rugs for half dollar.
Evenings OF and Days Out.
The mistress who would have her SER
wants dutiful and conscientious must be
! considerable of them. She must bear in
mind that their evenings off, and lays
| out are pleasant happenings to them, and
| give them as much delight rs her evening
| at the opera or theater gives her OF
course, each servant must have his or her
own special time of, and nothing should
| be allowed to interfere with IT. In the
| household in which there three ser
warts. each one is allowed an afternoon
! and an evening a week. and one Sunday in
| every two weeks. The afternoon out be-
| gins after lunch and ends at dlnner-time,
| and is not the same day on which the
evening is taken. BY this arrangement
| there are always two CT the servants in the
! house at a time, and between them they
| can perform the duties of the absent do
lnestic. The cooks Sundays out must he
| arranged SO that she Will tie at home to
prepare the dinner. To accomplish this
end, the Sunday dinner is often served at
noon, that hen that meal is dispatc he'd
| the cook has the remainder of the after
| noon and the evening to herself, the second
| servant preparing the supper.
..Gfvfng Notice."
When enga ging a domestic il Is well 10
| have her understand that when she wishes
| 10 leave her new situation she must give a
| weeks warning of her intention TO go at
| the expiration of her month of service, or
| GENTLY long period in which TO keep in a
house a domestic who is determined 20 20.
| After giving notice" she is seldom worth
keeping. No mistress should ever humble
| herself to ask servant to stay. The Old
| saw, There are as good fish in the sea as
! have ever been caught" may lie applied TO
! even a seemingly invaluable maid. When
she is worthless, does not earn the
wages she demands, the sooner she goes
| the better. and the mistress viii waste no
words nor lose her temper in informing the
| offender that her services are no longer re-
| quire1. In case of drunkenness or disor-
| derby behavior. the law, in the shape of the
neares policeman, should be called in, and
| the unruly member be summarily removed
| by this guard Of the public peace.