The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1899-07-25
PLAIN TAIN ON DOMESTIC
SERVICE.

The hired glrl question" about
which ~ much IL heard nowadays In
Seattle. as welt as in ell othrr sitiys
Of the land. will never be solved In a
way that viii be satisfactory Go emf
player aud cmployr, until domestic
service Is placed upon u different
plane from that which Il now oceur
pies in this country. As LONG as
such service Is held to be ~ an un-
desirable nature for young 8lris wte
have social aspirations. just - long
viii there be scarcity q desirable
household assistants
The unWrltten law - thr land bars
a giri who works IN The Kitchen fur
s. a week. frum reeognitioa IN PAR
ior society" At the same time the
young girl who sells ribbons ayet the
counter for s. per week. Or operates
a typewriter In an once for the same
sum q money that the domestic re
ceivcs. j. recognized IN church and
social circles and has a gvod time
In many communities nowadays.
fully one-half ~ the Young Amcri-
can girls are engaged 10 business in
some capacity. earning on the aver
age about s. Per week. hut not one
out % hundred % them would think
for a minute % accepting position
as cook IA a private family a. s. per
week. or even at ST.. Il would
queer" them socially. 40 they be-
lieve, The result u. that domestic
service nowadays Il performed by
girls fresh from the o!d countries.
who. in many Instances. are FAR from
desirable. t1th IN knowledge ana
manners. American women who are
heads % families fuss and fume over
the servant girl problem. hut each
would be quick e. resent sukKes-
ton that her own daughters should
enter kitchen employment That i
Just where the run comes IN. Most
Of the other people also obieet 20
their daughters serving as domss.
tlcs and - a deadlock susass. many
families wanting girls" and fcw
being willing 20 furnish them
We are inclined TO laugh at L..
the poor Indian. who ecornfuiiy 70
fuses TO work. believing that il "
beneath his dignity. and only proper
for his squAw. but. In truth. ne
simply rever~ss the white mans or
der Of things. which prescribea vcFk
a. necessary for men. and household
fdi@nsss as the proper thing for Ia
dies. common sense teaches that the
Creator intended man to earn the
nour for his family by the sweat 81
his brow. but woman VAS also in
tended for another purPoa. besides
pleasing her husband. and that Nas
60 make the family bread. In %
far as she has straycd from the or
iEiual purpose q her being. and IL
now devotlnE an undue share u time
20 making afternoon calls. ard com
plalnlnE Of the lack q desirable do
rnestics. she n Ike unto the man who
spends his time In vigorously kick
ing against a brick Wall.
When the present Determinations
against domestic workers. In favor
OF once and store workers. cease q
exist. there may be some change Cor
the better In the Housekeeping con.
ditious % the Land.
In these latter days few women are
willing 10 be eiasssi as hired kris .
The term j. In itself offensive and
seems to have been made 80 pur-
posely No one thinks % speaking
OF hired girls" In stores. ofices, or
even factories. Why. then. should
the domestic worker be singled out
for such an unpleasant designatlon7
II il honorable for men and women
90 work and all Americans today rec
oguine the fact It il honorable for
women to do housework. for which
they are especially ntted in the very
nature Of things. but through some
strange reasoning they persistentiy
ostracise those who engage In house
work a. a paid avouatinu.
It IL said that President Mckinley
recently remarked that he could or
ganize several briRades - Ameri-
can coionels. majors ana captains on
an hours notice. far service In the
Philippines. but that It was hard to
md any privates. II would appear
that the same thing holds good a.
regards the women Of America.
They are all willing 10 serve az mis-
tresses but the trouble Is to ind the
doneHtica.