El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-02-02
UNIONS FOR SERVANTS.
Foreign Idea of Organizing Do
mestics to Be Imported.
DELEGATES COMING FROM EUROPE

DELEGATES COMING FROM EUROPE.
The "Domestics' Union" In Christi
ania Has Had n Rapid Growth In
Europe-Outline of It's Constitution
and MISREPRESENTATION of Foreign
The new year will probably bring
forth the most serious problem that has
ever faced American homes and house.
holds. being no more nor less than the
organization by women domestic serv-
ants of servants' unions. General or
ganizers from Europe are now on their
way here to accomplish this object The
principal aim of the servants unions IS
to limit the hours of service, with sew
eral other radical changes, and this ID
the history of the movement in Europe
from it's commencement. A few months
ago the ladies of Christiania, the capt.
tai of Norway, were surprised by the
news that several hundred of the women
servants of the capital had met one
evening and organized a "domestlcs'
union" Addresses had been delivered
by several women speakers, servants
themselves, and the result was the adop-
ton of the following constitution and
bylaws, which were presented to the
employer of every servant who had be
come member of the union:
All night work to be abolished, ex-
| cept in case of sickness in the family;
work to commence at 6 80 in the morn
| ing and end at 8 O'Clock in the evening;
work or attendance on the family after
| 8 O'Clock to be performed by second
set of servants or to be paid for extra
One afternoon free each week, and
the whole of Sunday every alternate
week.
| Light, warm and we'll ventilated
rooms. each servant to have her own
bed.
| It was also decided to publish a news
paper in the interest OF the union and
| to advocate reforms in the treatment of
| female servants.
Before relating the effect of the Do
mestics' union in Christiania it is
necessary to state here that unions
have now sprung up all over the Scan
dinavian countries, principally in Nor
/ way and Denmark. The movement has
spread into Germany, Austria, Eng
| r
+! October a convention was held at Vi
emma, when some 80 delegates from
these countries were present and 1t was
decided before forming general society
to send two delegates to America to Sc
cure the support Of the women servants
in America. The two delegates that
have started are Miss Ida Christoffersen,
Norwegian, and Henrietta Mailer, q
Danish woman, who also speak tAe
German language.
In Europe the movement has secured
the earnest support Of the labor unions
and the proposition will be made to ad.
NIT these domestics' unions on equal
terms into the European labor unions
The expenses Of the Vienna convention
and the American delegates are paid by
the European labor unions. How the
American labor unions will act in thil
matter or if the women servants dele
gates come to America with their sane
} ton is a matter of conjecture, the Ger
man and Scandinavian newspapers IL
their report of the convention merely
! limiting that the delegates will be wei
. coined by the American labor unions.
And now, to return to the Norwegian
, Domestics' union, the immediate re
. suit was the organization of employers
unions, binding themselves not to EN-
, ploy q servant who was a member O
!; the Dcmestics' union, and similar EN-
!, pIoyera' unions were formed in othe
European cities, but the employ ers, t.
their sorrow, found that to carry on
their resolution was almost an impossi
bility. Neither have the servants sough
to have their demands fulfilled by
general strike. By mutual consent
truce has been entered into, the EN-
ployers glad of the delay, while tn
] servants are no doubt following out tn
plan of some secret councillors to frs
Y strengthen themselves and enroll ever.
1 servant in Europe in their organization
before making their demands.
The conditions Of the woman servant
Of Europe are little understood in thi
r country. Long hours, hard work, coars
. food, comfort in the American sense @
: the word almost unknown, and as I
: wages $40 per year is the average pa
e of women servants, even the higher Q
e upper servants in England getting yer
little above this sum. A separate roor
for the maidservant is almost uu
known. In most households she is con
sidered household article that can b
q provided for anywhere. She has in mos
y cases only a cold, uncomfortable garre
e OF bunk in the kitchen. Her feeling
are not considered. In fact, she is nc
i expected to have any feelings. She is
!, drudge, and still she is expected to al
# ways be neatly dressed, to cook, to b
K within call al y hour during the nigh
l. or day, a machine always ready for ust
9 America is the Mecca for the woma
servants of Eurore, and the reports con