The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-08-20

III
Offices wi,hou, paying any fee TO the
agents. the supply of mon applicants
being so nan that they arc themselves
glad 20 pay fully for the situations
but in New York and in all our great
towns there Is "a large body of women
servants who are 81 sure of getting
places at short notice whenever they
want, them that they are careless about
kecpinc them when obtained, seeming
io enjoy change for itself and, perhaps.
because II g.v,e them intervals Of leisure.
Often a woman can throw up n situation
and g, another in a day. IL sho So de
sirc>. but when "A man loses a place "
il a serious matter for him. for II may
b. long before he gets another. Thus
there has grown up the " rounder, y or
the m servant who One and goes
as her tickle fancy dictates. from mere
enjoyment Of the changes or because
she j. II a character making impossible
her residence in a decent family.
Now. this Is an old. old question the
eternal servant girl question which
has vexed families in this country since
the colonial DAYS. but rs we have
described IL. Il has taken on "A new phase
Of late years. Formerly the great def
cheney was in the supply OF wome at all
experienced in domestic service. Such
servants a. were Ia b. had were usually
raw immigrants from ireland. utterly
strange a. all the duties required of them.
Competent cooks, for instance, were
few; bat now there has come from
Sweden. from Germany and from Eng
land a large supply Of thoroughly trained
servants and among them many cooks
" superior ability. Meanwhile their
wages have risen greatly, 80 that now
no other feminine labor IL as well paid
as that Of the domestic servant. In
this country. too. they are maintained
in households on a scale 81 comfort, as
touching their food and accommodations,
unapproached IN European countries.
Usually they fare n well A. the iami-
lies employing them. American mis-
trcsses are not scvcre taskmasters, n
measured by the severe German re-
ouirements, for instance. As wages
and comforts have increased. however.
the difficulties of getting and keeping
good servants seem to hnv" multiplied
The cxactions ar on their side. The
~restiveness of contemporary labor has
extended 90 them in n notable measure.
Their spirit il rebellious and they main
tain an attitude of hostility eve to
emplpvcrs who seek Ia Conciliate their
IN -. ~. .A.Ag anW.EsNl nnWztI-
Grafton. for We near complaints Of eN-
asperating conduct In ~ervan from the
gentlest. the kindest, and the most re-
inei OF mIstresSoS.
As We have said. the worst experience,
the worst development of the v
girl question is IN the country and In
suburban towns, there the situation has
become intolcrable. But in the great
cities IL is not much better. Rich fam
lilies. with large households and a r"tinue
Of servants engaged and supervised hy
a housekeeper. hay get along well
enough cvcn frequent changes among
~ many no; being a matter Of impor-
lance. rs affecting the smooth running ~
the domestic machinery. but in house
holds where only n few servants are
kept the question - often, even generally.
Of the graves, importance and the situa-
ton seems To b. growing worse rather
than better for them
II -. undoubtedly. because Of this in
tolerable friction in domestic life that
builders are finding their profit m putting
M on so extensive a scale apartment
houses wherein meals and service are
supplied nv the landlord a. IN a hotel.
or where. II servants are kept by the
tenants, their requisite number and
the dependence on them are le--
sened. At one time the supply Of
apartment houses outran the demand
and they became often an undcslr-
ahlc species Of property, but now
tho demand for them Is 80 great that
they are erected AT a far more rapid rate
than ever before, and continually the
range Of the comforts they offer in the
way Of recent improvements ~ extended
and they seem TO he filling up in spite of
rents oftcntimcs higher than even a
house can he obtained NJ. The servant
XII UltNlNbU ~ hplIk iF blStl'TN
families are paving To escape from It's
distress. Meantime New York has be-
F, come the greatest city Of restaurants
in the world and its leadership in the
number, size and luxurious appointment
of it, hotels i steadily and greatly in
creased Thus domestic life - forced "a
follow the example Of combination fur
nished bv the trust in the manufacturing
and distribution of commodities.
How far this tendency. now 80 striking,
will ~ during this generation Is prob
lemaiical, but II j. likely 20 10 far, for
the friction caused In family life b. tho
servant necessity is becoming intolcr-
able in great numbers Of households.
Insulting the Army Uniform.