The state herald., 1900-11-23
GERMAN HIRED GIRLS
1T REQUIRES MUCH REDTAPE TO
EMPLOY ONE.
Police Supervision of Servant Girls-Gov-
ernment Permits Little Personal Libcr-
ty-Few Changes of Place-wAEes Low
But Mistrcsses Tolerant.

In Germany the government takes n
hand III the servant girl problem, as 1t
does In almost everything else, and 1t
has succeeded In partially solving at
least one phase of the difficulty. 1t has
reduced the servant giirs "tightiness'
to minimum; she cannot change
places once n week the year around.
For, when she moves, the government,
represented by the police, must know
all about it, and If there is any difficult
ty or dispute disagreeable questions
may be asked.
Indeed, the process Of employing
servant girl is a good deal of business
transaction, with decidedly official
tinge. The girl comes to your kitchen
and you agree with her about the
wages, and she says she will stay.
Then you must go to the police station
and purchase, for pfennigs about
cent? white card or blank, which has
spaces for all sorts of information
about the new girl" You must write
down her full name, where she came
from, whether married or single, her
trade, whether cook, chambermald or
waitress; her birthday and year, her
nationality, her religion, her own home,
ssAAss - '''hhhiNu hOW many Shll-
dren she has and where the are and
who their guardian is. The govern
ment always looks out well for the chill
dren and sees that they are provided
for comfortably, this being the more
necessary because many, perhaps most
servants are married women with typi-
cally large families. At the same time
that this blank goes in the girl" must
QlSn N MI lin, oh
of place. Having done all this, you
must see that the girl pays her regular
fees to the insurance or death fund,
so that she may not become public
charge In case of her Death or disable
ment.
All this ceremony tends to make 1t
dutlicult for girl to move about, or
for the master to discharge her with
small cause. Should 1t be necessary at
any time for the girl to leave there
must be more dealings with the po-
lice. The householder now buys
green blank or card on which he re-
ports with the same completeness of
| description the departure of his SER
want. And there must be no delay in
any OF these ceremonies else the police,
who have their fingers on every man,
woman and child in Germany and
know just where each individual
should he at any given time, will be-
gin making inquiries, and II you have
not reported you are taken before the
magistrate and fined.
All this tends TO prevent the rapid
circulation of servant girls so familiar
to every American householder, in
which the Claras follow the Maggies
and the Katies follow the Claras In
swift succession. Nor do the German
girls" expect such Differences MS these
In America: they are Industrious and
quiet: they are willing TO work for lit
tie or nothing, and to do any sort of
dlsagrecable task, but, on the other
hand, not as much Is expected of them
MS in America, and their mistresses are
perhaps more tolerant. 1t may be add
ed, however. that the German girl
has her regular Sunday soldier or po-
liceman. as well ms the American girl;
| that Is n problem which even the Ger
man government cannot solve.