The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-06-04
REMEDY IN BUREAUS
Viggo Jacobsen Tells of How Den
mark Handles the Question.

Editor Advertiser. Since you have in
vited discussion OF the vexatious domes-
tic servant problem in your columns.
crave your indulgence N I essay To con-
tribute my modicum We all know that
the cook or housemaid are the banes of
suffering humanity. whether married or
singh" IN general. and the bette noir" of
the good housewife in particular Homo
lulu II indeed more afflicted i'm this re-
spect than most places, and do not won
det mat YOU consider the matter worthy
OF editorial comment.
From my personal observations In a
good many countries, must say that no
where have 1 seen "a better system In.
vogue than that which obtains I'm Dem
marx, where nearly all domestic SER
wants are engaged through long-estab-
lished bureaus. These must in no way
De COMPOUNDED with the employment of
hces In the States or In the Australian
colonies, too many OF which are conduct
cd BY persons almost as INSCRIPTIONS
and eXtortionate as the "Crimps" which
would appear TO have infested local ship
ping circles, and against whom you have
tuuuguratcd laudable crusade.
The sO-Called "FaestekOntOrer" ZEN
gagcment bureausb In Copenhagen are
limited TO number propOrtionate to the
population, licensed by the Government
and are carried on under stringent legis-
lative onaCtments ana supervision of the
authorities. In short. the chief of such
an establishment may be said to BE- ''de
jurc' II not ode faCto' "a government off,
clal. In virtue Of the powers vested In
him by Royal Patent, granted only aft.
or the closest Investigation as to his
character and integrity. and he Is re-
quircd To afiiN official seal to all his
transactions. much after the manner OF
him furnished with "a kind of passport
book. 50 To speak. upon the front pages
OF which are printed the conditions I'M
posed upon as well as the responsibilities
assumed by employer and employe. the
tctm Of notice and the zee payable by
both. which IL triiiing and fixed by law.
IN case OF an engagement an entry into
this book. ruled and subdiyided for the
purpose, is made, dated, signed and seal
81 py the agent, who must previously be
iu possession Of sufficient data as TO the
character and anteccdents Of the con-
tracing parties This book becomes I'm
course OF time permanent record of the
servants whole career. every engage
mont and discharge being duly vised
ana duplicated. for reference, In the books
Of these employment bureaus. No en-
pluycr may refuse an honorable discharge
tp a servant who has complied with the
prescribed regulations. and In the surpris-
ingly very rare instances wnere SER
vunts thus obtained are guilty either Of
theft or other misconduct. or of simple
desc rtiOn (the latter offence. mark you.
not punishable 10y law. their chances of
obtaining other employment is practical
~ reduced TO nil. because they must pro-
duCp their book and submit to an investi-
regularities IN the same. Probably their
pcccadillovs have already been reported
To- one or another OF these bureaus. so
that the offenders dare not present them
selves as candidates. The consequence Is
that except whore someone may take
them on trust. they cannot be foisted up
on unwary and honest people.
such. sir. ~ In brief outlines the Danish
plan, which has been In successful opera
.tion for at least half "a century. during
tho whole OF which period the laws regu-
lating the same may have possibly been
slightly amended 20 meet the exigencies
Of modern and liberal ideas. But the I'M
derlying principle Of the whole scheme Is
equity both for master and servant. You
also know that the European servant In
the United states Is apt to degenerate. or
To- speak more alphabetically. to become
"eman Cipated." but this. as Kipling puts
IL. H. another story. The fact remains
that the Scandinavian and German SER
wants are well 20 the fore In the demand
bv the American households And " YOU
think. sir. that they manage these things
better in Denmark than We do here and
that the above contains some hints use
ful for the Honolulu public. thank you
In anticipation OF It's insertion In your
puterprising Journal. I remain. respect
fully yours, NIGGO JACOBSEN.