Evening star., 1901-11-22
SERVANT GIRL PROBLEM
MATTER DISCUSSED BY THE INDUS
TRIAL COMMISSION.
Character of Domestic Service Must
BE Improved-Instructfn the
Next Generation.

An interesting collection of facts relat-
Ing to domestic servants Is embodied In a
report prepared by Gail Laughlin and Is
sued by the Industrial commission.
'Tn view Of the fact" the report says,
"that there are fully million and half
of domestic employees in the country. and
that this million and half of persons
are scattered throughout the whole coun-
Try in almost as many different homes, 1t
IS evident that any comprehensive or COM
psete investigation of domestic service has
been impossible IN the short space OF time
which it was possible to ailot to such in
veStgation."
The returns received indicate that a large
proportion of the domestic employees of the
present day in this country are OF Foreign
birth only 22.S per cent of the 1,345 en-
ployes reported being American born
Present Service Unsatisfactory.
In conclusion the report says:
ITO summarize the conclusions reached:
Conditions In domestic service are at pres
ent unsatisfactory. The testimony OF peo-
ple generally. and the facts stated by those
who come most closely into touch with do
mestic labor. seem to establish that In
large proportion of cases the service rem
dered by domestic employees is unsatis-
factory, and that the supply of competent
domestic workers is far below the de-
nIand. In short, domestic service is large
ly in the hands of unframed and fncom-
petent workers, and is unpopular with the
majority of intelligent women wage-earn-
ers. The reason for this is not found In
the wages paid, for it Is admitted that
wages in domestic service are, all things
considered, higher than are the wages paid
in many more popular lines of work.
1.-THE reason is found in other conditions
which exist. and primarily in the fact that
the domestic employe is looked upon as
personal servant rather than as an en-
ploye hired to perform specific service. Be
cause of this view there Is no fixed stand
ard of work, the hours of labor are indef-
mite. the employees entire time is subject
to the control of the employer. The posi-
tibn Of the employe in the household Is
that of a semi-dependent, her social posi-
tion is that OF an inferior.
Conditions Must Be Changed.
''To improve the character of domestic
service, the supply of intelligent workers
must be increased: to increase the supply
of intelligent workers, conditions must be
so modified as to make the conditions in
domestic service conform. to as great an
extent as possible, to conditions existing
In other industries. and especially so modi-
fed as to put the social position of the
domestic emplOye on a par with that OF
other wage-earners In other words, DO
mestic service must be put on a business
basis. This can be done only through CO.
operation on the part of both employers
and employees, cooperation based on bet
ter and more scientific conception of the
character of household labor. The process
must be primarily educational, both as
regards employer and employe.
Education and Training.
INSTRUCTION in the public schools in the
elementary principles which bear upon
household affairs would do much to give
to the next generation better understand
ing of the Importance of household labor
and of the principles underlying it. The
establishment of training schools III which
young girls could obtain training in house
work trade would, In conjunction with
the offering by employers of business con-
ditiOns, bring into domestic service an IN
telligent class of workers trained 20 per-
form the work for which they were hired.
The scientific study and investigation of
household labor in the higher institutions
Of learning would. In time, result in the,
discovery and application of better meth
DDS in household labor and tend to i'm
prove household service, as such study and
Investigations have resulted in respect to
agricultural labor.
1.-THE evils existing in domestic service
arise chiefly from the failure to apply to
such service modern economic principles.
These evils must be remedied by the slow
process of evolution through education.
The evils which grow out of the meth
DDS in vogue at many. If not most, ,ntelli-
gence offices, and which have been already
referred to at length, are removable by
legislation"