The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-04
ABOUT BRITISH BARMAIDS
Philanthropists Are Trying Hsrd
to Abolish Them.
1t Is Feared That the Movement viii
Receive Scant Sympathy From the
English Public. or From Even the
Girls TheniscIves-It Is the BEST
Paying Work of the Poorer Classes.

LONDON. Feb. 2s.-There are 100 600
barmaids in England, and at various times
sundry philanthropic folk have dreamed of
having law passed which should disband
this extraordinary army by preventing the
employment OF girls as bartenders II is
maintained that England is far behind the
United States in this matter and that the
country will go to the dogs unless the
pretty barmaid is abolished.
But the efforts in this direction have met
with little public support. partly because
an English institution is not easily set
| aside and partly because of general con-
viction that the girl behind the bar is not
necessarily bad lot.
So an attempt in new End more inter-
/ esting direction has been begun on be-
half of the barmaid. Instead OF being told
| that she is probably sinner, or soon will
be one, she is merely invited to come to
| take tea on Sunday afternoon with
| woman who doesn't intend to preach to
her and who would like to be a good
\ friend, and, to quote her own words, would
| like Ito give her a bit of blue sky to see
Mrs. Cholmeley. the leader OF this rev
| work. is wealthy woman, who is one OF
/ the honorary workers in the Church Army
| the great organization with which the
/ Church OF England is Fundamentally nj
/ vaiing General Booths Salvation Army
| Mrs. Cholmeley has received contributions
/ from the Church Army and from other
sources and engaged four or five bright
/ girls who have been trained as mission
workers, to help her. The work, Of course,
makes 1t necessary that the barmaids
should be visited at their places of BUSH
ness-for these girls work from Z in the
morning until 1890 at highland natu-
rally, Mrs. Cholmeley has found 1t difficult
to enlist women of her own class to UNDER
take making the rounds of such places.
Another drawback is that there are really
only about four hours in the day when
this work can be attempted for the girls
are busy with customers from IL o'clock
until 2 or 3 in the afternoon, and even
buster all the evening.
In spite of these difficulties Mrs. Cholme-
ley and her girl assistants have succeeded,
in the last six months. in visiting over
1900 barmaids and talking with them
They take with them little letter. en-
closed in an envelope, attraetiyely printed
and as little like tract as possible. writ
ten simply and without can't yet csicu-
lated to interest the girl who receives 1t
and to make her think.
Some Of the larger public houses employ
as many as twenty-five barmaids, and Ia
others the girls are kept busy from morn
ing until night, 5tit in every casa the
one OF them, as well as TO hand them the
letters. Every letter is signed with Mrs.
Cholmeleys name ard bears her address.
and the girls are told that she Is at home
every Sunday afternoon and Will be pleas
ed to have them take tea with her when
ever they can. At these teas she some
times has three or four girls, sometimes
only one. more often none. Considering
that the girls only breathing time in. the
whole week comes on Sunday afternoon.
and then is only five hours long, 1t is not
strange that Mrs .Cholmeley's little recep-
lions are not better patrcnized.
That LADY is entitled now to speak with
some authority and she says that there
are many more good barmaids than evil
ones. The girls usually enter the business
for the simple reason that almost all the
other lines OPEN to women are paid SO
wretchedly that the $50 a week. with
meals. that barmaids receive. seems like
a fortune. Then. there is nothing degrad-
ing about the work. for every barmaid is
called Miss and the attitude of most
patrons to her Is precisely like that of men
in America to Mattresses in restaurants. In
their visits. Mrs. Choimeley and her girls
have discovered four barmaids who were
formerly teachers in Sunday schools, and
several spirited ones who keep a little box
on the bar and make men who swear il
their presence drop into it a penny when
,
and sent il to 4 charity fund.
So thus far in their work these good
women are encouraged. In all that four
thousand girls that they have seen only
one has failed to receive them courteously.
Most OF them are apparently grateful 10
find that they are not considered outeasts.
and when their friends call for the second
time, recognize and receive them rather
warmly. From the proprietors of the
pubs and the men who are drinking
there. the girl visitors say they have
never had anything but respectful treat
ment.
This work among the barmaids has as
vet received no newspaper attention in
London, and Mrs. Cholmeley hopes that It
will receive none. because she fears that
if her efforts are described as move
ment the publicans. as they are called.
would think that they were TO be deprived
OF their girls. and the workers would no
longer be allowed to speak with them. The
reason that Mrs. Cholmeiey and the Church
Army do not make an effort to get the
girls out of the public houses is that they
wouldn't know what to do with or for the
army OF them after that was accomplished.
AS for the girls themselves. the great
majority OF them would leave in moment
II they could make as much money else
where in a more elevated calling. The
hours are terribly long: they are obliged
10 stand all through them. There Is dirty
work to be done in the morning. some
times insults to put UP with, and always
he temptation to drink. Mrs. Choluieiey
says fewer of them yield to this temptation
than would be expected.
The girls are usually related to the pro-
Drietor. or are the relatives of his friends.
and some of them enter the business as
Early as the age of fourteen. They find
heir husbands in the public houses. II
hey don't get married and retire they lie
Toung. the result of the hard work and
eng hours. At least, that was what the
girls said when asked what became of the
I'D bsrmaids.
What Mrs. Cholmeley hopes to accom-
,lish eventually she hardly knows Her
deal is. finally to divide the city Of Len
lon up into districts and enlist women
workers enough TO look after the girls
ather carefully, in case any of them is i'll
IT in trouble. Then to find woman OF
ONE prestige in each OF those districts
Who would receive the girls on Sunday or
whenever they could come and counsel
hem if they needed it. At present $1,000
las been spent on the work.
Don't BE DisnGreeabIc.
Isn't il a pity that so many people are