The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-08-04
MISS LAUGHLN APPOINTED SOLVE THE PROBLEM
OF MISTRESS

| dustrial problems and as a member of
that committee she delivered an ad-
dress last February on the subject of
women as wage-earners.
The selection of such a woman as
Miss Laughlin to investigate the SER
want question, therefore, seems Il wise
| one. and the members of the United
States industrial commission are salts
fed that if she cannot suggest some So
luton for the trouble the task is GER
| tainly beyond the power of mere men,
an opinion with which the merest
novice in the study of the social ques-
ton will not be inclined to disagree.
HELP" FAMINE.
While the fact that the help" ques-
ton has become one of the most i'm
portant problems of the day may not
have appealed to men and women who
have not considered the subject, the
fact that there is famine in all large
cities, both in Europe and this country,
is shown in more ways than one. The
adoption of the system of masculine
housemaids is a paradox of home life
that has become a recognized factor
of existence in some Of the big western
cities, and even in the east, Japanese
servants have to an appreciate extent
taken the place of the ordinary house
maid. Chinese servants are no novelty
on the Pacific coast, but if something
is not done toward the solution of the
servant problem there is every prob
ability that the far east will see as
many Chinese servants as may now De
seen in, the far west.
The most striking evidence of the
"help' famine in the large cities, how
ever may be seen in the fact that an
association has been formed in New
York for the purpose of supplying ser
wants by the hour. Such thing was
not thought of a few years ago. but
the problem of running a house has
now assumed such proportions that wo-
men are glad to take advantage OF any
innovation that will tend to tighten the
task
Under these circumstances it is not
strange that the cry for relief should
have reached Washington, and that
Miss Laughlin should have been chosen
to investigate these questions.
AS there are few women who have
taken a greater interest in this ques-
ton than Miss Laughlin, it will not be
necessary for her to spend months upon
months in acquiring the information |
necessary to enable her to get the prop |
er grasp upon her subject.
Already she has thoroughly exam |
ined the ground and she knows just |
whom to call upon for the information |
that she lacks. AT the present time she |
is of the opinion that the fundamental |
trouble with the servant question is the
matter of hours. Men work eight, nine
or ten hours a day, as the case may be, !
but the servant girl is compelled to
work for about fourteen hours, and she
is fortunate if she does not hear grum-
bling because she does not work longer.
HER HARD LOT.
In addition to this there is no ques-
ton of union wage in her case She
gets a certain number of cents day,
and she does not get the holidays to
herself, with double pay If she works.
N other words. the tendency has been
o compel the servant girl to work as
nanv hours as it was possible to get
Ter to work. and to pay her as little for
Ter services as it was possible TO get
Ter to take.
The NATURAL result of this method of
-