The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-10-20
NORWAY HOUSEHOLD SERVICE
VIKING BLOOD N the SOLr TION
or THE SERVANT PROBLEM.
Decd. of the Fighting Berrrker pale In
Gior, before the Achievement W
Their women D~escendants. whom the
Sore Problem No Longer usnes.

SURF FFbOtfth w "ss"
tn. women Of Norway have bren showing
their Viking blood and asserting Themselves
siurdily Of late Only a short time ago
they aro@s and rent the marriage ntual,
and now the Norwegian bird" need NOT
promi~. 10 otey unless SHE u n poor-spirtted
feminine thing with a taste for submissive
humility. But the campaign In which the
shirt Of Eric the Red and Olaf the Rod
really soAr.d ono, more. had 20 do with a
matter moro vital than mRtrifnony. In
cid-ntallv. indeed. upon this mntter hinges
the suocess or failure Of mRtrimony. Nor
war,an woman tackled the domestic ser
vice problem
What il more. .hs Insists that ale has
solved Il. Beside such prowess what were
the ia fights Of tho Berserker-' A
Norwegian journal recently announced
that the domestic ser vice problem had been
rrttled TO tho satisfaction OF all con-
cerned,- an optimistic statemsnt which
will doubtless tan the credulity Of the
nrcraRe American housewife beyond Its
limit Of elasticity. ~ a matter OF fact
tho method o. running IN" servant prob
lem which has lseu elaborated IN Nor
way would hardly he practicable here,
but some ~ It's features might 10 adopted
proftAbly aud the plan a. applied To Nor
wegian households should have interest
for every housewife.
In almost all Of tho large cities OF Nor
way employment bureaus have beer es-
tablis bod and placed under the manage
ment and control Of the municipal authori-
ue=. TIE bureaus ara opaned only twice
a wear. In thu last week Of lune and the
Let 49, II narn unb.r Thay ramaln
| open unult the work on hand is transacted.
During theso sessions all mt-tresSes and
maids who are dissatisfied must seize the
opportunity TO make a change. The woman
Who wants a maid must AL out q blank
explaining exactly what she wants. the
amour, Of work that will b. required OF tho
servant. the wages that will be paid. 40.
This statement h sent To q bureau and
placed on tlo, and a duplicate Of 1t lie posted
ON n large bulletin board.
The servants who want work watch the
bulletin board. and when they And notice
q a position which would suit them. they
amply 10 tho clerk in charge at the Same
time presenting their Recommendations |
II these references prove satisfactory the
clerk gives tho applicant a card which 10
good Tor ono day and IL 10 be pre-
tfllNAAl 20 NV Nbiflhil III Hlf~A q " ~ NFNHD 1
The servant calls upon the woman n
tho latter engages the applicant. she flls
out the card, stating the wages, the amount
al work and ID" exact terms agreed upon.
Tho card then goes back TO the Office.
whore u L. kept for reference In case dis
rI,e and trouble arise later. Before tho
fervaut leaves the house the prospective
mistress paws a small sum as advance
wages. 20 bind the bargain: hut on no CON
dition can the servant leave the former
.u.yl....v ID, lnaa ,hun N NvaaL af,ar a...,t
ing tho new place.
In CASE tho servant sent 10 the employer
does not suit the card IN merely returned TO
tho Office marked Unsatisfactory, and
other servants are sent.
After the bond Is once made. nothing save
death or ia. law cOurt- can dissolve IL
uatil the bureau opens for It's neat session.
The agreement cannot b. broken until
tho time exp 'r'e unless the court - decides.
Tho mistress cannot dischargr tho maid.
The maid cannot leave tho mistress II
either havc q serious grievance. she must
take IL to the magistrate. Whp viii lnvesti-
gate and decide upon the merits " the case.
Tho plan opens up a drcary vista OF busy
DAYS for magistrates, hut certainly must
do away with much injustice on both sides
81 the domestic service question: A maid
las al~D luts right % a comfortable, sani-
tary room. a good t-~i wholesome FOOD
ald prompt payment u" mistress has
A risbt To- ~rcsI-st. Dhsi,nrc and honesty
k,vori tLc." h~irdan,u'aI nights, which
are easily defined. stretches a vast foggy
fold # pruhiematic ught,, IN regard 20
which tho magi~'rat" ~ tho district pre-
.umahlv has pienary INSPIRATION.
Ifaservant lrav. III EMPLOYER without con-
forming "a the official rules and regulations.
,hr l. liabl, 20 fine and Imprisonment, but
tie sam. thing may hsfaI a mistress who
discharges a maid without oihclal Ter.
and the servant wages arr, Ia all
case. a iirSt lien OIL fh" property 81 ia"
,mplover Tho amount - th" wages Is
f,cI Nv ofi.ial schedule IN accordance
the experience - the servant. hut, ,
o. h.si, tho wages - ~" Norwegian servant f,
MT ligl enough o. content oven the (
immigrant Etr whom Ellis Island f,
as~.e into thr New Work. field ~ domestic Z
/ ~ The hest 4 oruks Ia Norway re-
,.lv g. n month. a." lest hous"mAid
4 ard tie lEhysi prl"s~i -"rNaht On IN"
|, r,-inI,. the ,oschuan. sIs amonth
- amount & off.ial prnt"rtiun would
~r-,rriIr an American servant 10 such
\ ago. AID on the other hand. the Ameri-
r.fT uI-fp.- would hsN~ go undergo n
rasiHa. riargn w tradition. prnCipl" and
. mlrr isf.rH sho could u~plve her do
..tt- matter, into legal Irohleus and
} Idr tN their I eui solutions II IA" ui~iufs
|, nId POL Hr H.li r.' 'nrar" a naid 'i'l
q rr..a.I u.f-psHt~@ much god would
, sue ru' ''r HvrraF" private employ
.fr aa.U.N - c%ar"l's- lu No" matter - |
HsI.rf.tt aHd ihr average 'mpiuNv~, |
-tr.f- '.r 90 maid v t'ul more '%arrl'rr
vaEs rsf- v'f' tNod ard u1 our could
T,r ID |-.'a. higher vacrs thew would
sH. DO rH. -HfI. shilling - s'rNanfs
pod. .fv we've bHurd O. Al-.p the uait.
f.. #afI fu -faN wltH fUn Wistfs.-s.
. rr 1r'" .nHui~i Goo q dugwv bring I
d Magistrate into 200 dispute fhfre |
I. sfHvH T.fH f~a-HU and Cur-
|Hfu'.r 600 ,tirf si, 1h-u again
ur u glt ln uHuUefailc illustrations :
fH NHfiIs O. fhr fal'ed hHleuuN ute
VrHf would hD a.. fls4f shUuIf lie
H#. - wHM H-.H.#HWWW. go.
ID. U.aII tH ~turrs.H- tigf zap toFffhef
=h lHFg mpfths and ths wurts 'dif.
arg. U|H 'futlHee eliminated frum
vaalUIarv b. tasvuuf VlAis~i con.
ur huI H.rstf Ia flrrv -tuuld 10 ~1ul.
fa"IH. CIV WtsfrrHs arr go MAID an
.-naL .l.I. s.n-Ln-l u.-LlnII VIM IL