New-York tribune., 1899-12-03
<crANTS AND THE SERVED
,arvr FOR SOLVING A DOMESTIC
PROBLEM.
u,,v HoUsEKEETERs' ASSOCIATIONS
yrrnops-A PROPOSAL FOR THE
w,NIcITAI ASSEMBLY.

II
.sbeIIed and made life burdeh TO her
-. Engaging 'ercon' girls ana deNo'ins
,aaching them the rudiments of house
,ookjne. serving at the table, or taking
Ff"s .nsren 10 see thcm when the task was
.lsbed 60 20 a ncighhor for more pay or
.hov ,ou1 have two evenings out In
=. one. spending money at employment
o.. secure the service of person VINO
- est week robeled and accused her
- heing no lady; being left in the
i critical moment by servant VINO
=, % visit "a sick aunt or making the as
that the family laIder was being USED
.,lv the cooks family, were some oi the
which drove people out of their homes
. No.r3ing houses and created boom III
." .,n,. hotel business. The hodsekeeperS
,",..,,alvos confronted with demands ana
.,-',,ors IN the part Of servant girls when
- .,at the girl" knew her value.
-. ..ooan who is a confirmed sufferer and
- ,aver misses an opportunity to tell the
NV .horr she meets how hard ii is to keep
w., ubat frauds are practsed by the en-
-,,,rsp, agents and how much better II is 10
so.,d and throw all the responsibility on the
t,ysdv has nothing but Censure Tor the ser
=, ,;L But the servant tells another story
at,ov, docs il happen" she asks, that some
=. .-o rover troubled with their servants
-,., 1.-Two in the same style as their ncighbors
- oo,,, keen a girl. rhe conditions are ldenu-
-, tho families OF the same size. the people
,be same sphere and the pay is equal one
.rlv keeps its help for years and when the
y,s for some reason. go away. they feel that
hav are leaving home. The other family
.h.nses help every few weeks. and the servant
ever has kind word to say for the household.
In the first case the servants are treated win
little consideration and in the other theE are
,o,. and that is the whole secret
Women who have found no difficulty in Keep
~ servants look upon the question in TINS
cane light. They acknowledge that the ser
yapt girl does not have enough time for her
self. that she is required 10 work early ana
ate. and that being UP half the night is no
excuse for not being in time early in the morn
ing. that in the modern apartment houses the
servants rooms are too small. badly ventilated
and cherries, and that on the whole there is
100 little human sympathy for them
The people who We're poor and not accus-
,omed to having servants. and those who were
themselves servants. have the most trouble in
he matter Of keeping help" said woman in
i. employment bureau, and they are the peo-
who by extraordinary demands, inability TO
mpathze with their help and the mistaken
ion that severity is necessary TO command
:2ect. make IL difficult for people who are bet
disposed 20 secure and keep help"
A society was organized in 1899 under the
-4 Deutsche Hausfrauen Verein. or German
sgsekeepers' Association, which had for its OBJ
st the protection Of the interests Of employ
ss and servants and many women who had
gspped unsucceSsfully with the servant girl
,uesion became members. and by paying 81
year and an additional sum to be expended
prizes for servants who remained in their
faces for long terms, hoped TO better their con
-.lon Servants who want places as cooks,
hambermads. general houseworkers, children's
ltenlants or nurses apply for places at the
o1S Of the society and if after investigation
Ny are found worthy they are recommended
% hose members whose girl just went away
.@calse the wash was too large" or because
s'saEast was never over till near luncheon
ine" or because she couldn't stand the mad
ans ways or because she wanted her money
hen her month was up" or because she object
e 70 picked up meals at midday, or some sim
ar cause.
The society made many rules and ordinances,
2nong which were the following:
Servants who repeatedly have shown them
sVes refractory who have Intentionally neg
s1sd their Work or in other ways have gwen
l-F employer just cause for complaint Will
.N again be- recommended by the society, and
iey also lose all other advantages offered by
he society
IN the other hand. members Of this society
'Ao Do Injustice 10 servants furnished by the
Iety and refuse to redress the wrong In a
a'Siaciory manner viii be dropped from mem
R'Shlp. Complaints Of employers as well as OF
wants mus be presented to the society IN
'Hung or may be- dictated 10 the secretary.
,tssugation must be made by the officers i'm