The sun., 1901-08-25
Domestic Servants Again.

Domestic Servants Again.
UT correspondent OF Friday was
right In assuming that The SUN CON
sidcrs the servant-girl question Of
enough importance ITO justify in serious
and prominent discussion. No other
phase Of the general labor QUESTION Is
more interesting. for II affects more
directly the comfort OF life Of a great
body Of households than anv other.
We also agree with her that the crit
icism by men Of the administration OF
domestic service by women 10 unfair
and unintelligent Such service 10 radi-
cally different from that with which
men have 10 deal In their management
OF labor and Il brings up a totally dis
tinct problem. growing out Of the cir
cumstanoe that the servants are men,
bers Of the household actually living
under the same roof with the family
employing them. and that ncccsearily
there Is wide social gulf between the
two, though they are brought into a
contact 90 close. IL domestic servants
were day laborers dismissed at night TO 20
to their own homes and their own self-
discipline, there might be reasonable
comparison between masculine and fcmi-
nino management Of the labor problem.
The women who conduct business estab-
lishments. dressmakins or what not.
have a problem to deal with like that
handled by men and they seem to be no
less skilful in treating IL.
To large extent, our Southern friends
since the abolition of slavery have been
driven by habits and rules established
by their negro servants TO the custom OF
employing them simply a. day hborcrs.
Tho negroes insist on going at night
20 their own separate homes. Undoubt-
edly this custom causes inconvenience
TO the families employing them but II
has its advantages In eliminating one
OF tho most vexatio,p features OF tho
problem Of domestic service. II intro
duccs, however. another feature which
would provoke evaporation in a North
ern mistress. The departing servant
carries away with her food for her own
family, but as the wages paid are low
as compared with our. duo allowance
IL made in them for such perquisite.
which usually. by q sort OF tacit under
standing. is food enough for four people.
II the custom was introduced here the
result, In the way Of provisions carried
OF, would be about the same. probably.
for now the objection TO having servants
come in by the day Is based on the ex-
perience that such an abstraction OF
victuals Is likely TO happen with them.
without any Offset In the way Of a 70
duction In wages. Moreover. families
are already vexed by tho custom. which
Is 50 frequent among tradesmen. Of
giving commissions 90 servants, tending
TO their decentralization by tempting
them TO wilful wasteiulness.
Our Southern friends complain very
bitterly Of this and other features In
cident to negro service. but, after all.
II has its advantages In relieving a mis-
tress OF tho necessity OF dealing with
the social problem OF joint residence
with her servants. Il gives the service
an independent social life. greatly prized
by people Of every condition. Girls
will endure the severe discipline and
accept the smaller wages OF factories
and shops because when their days
work is done they get their social liberty
and escape from the exactions and the
supervision OF taskmaster.
Moreover. except In families where
there IL a sufficient retinue OF servants
OF bo.h srrs~ To permit OF the definite
and specialized subdivision Of allotted
duties, the work required OF domestic
servant h various and Of a wide range
and permits of little relaxation inside
OF outside. In q household with many
servants there are moro chances Of
getting an outing" for when the ap-
pointed task Of each has been performed
the need OF the particular service q
no longer felt. Such a service, too. is
large enough 20 permit Of the sstisfac-
ton Of the social instinct within the
household itself. The servants make
up an association of their own, men and
women. with an independent life. The
most distrcssful experience. with the
problem Of domestic service are in
families where the servants employcd
are few, with large variety Of mis-
cellaneous duties
Our correspondent infers that the
cause 81 the trouble T. the inconsiderate-
ne~s of mistrc-scs In their Treatment
of maid servants Undoubtedly, there
Il very much 81 this. proceeding from
Ignorance Il the reasonable limitations
In tho ability of a servant to perform
a vide range ~ variou. and unin,er-
mi,ted dutic-. That in each che should
satisfy ekhciing criticism ~ no, a justi-
Fable expectation except where there 10
q specialization IN th~tn which make
possible the noquivm~n, of t~cuiisr
esT-r1nc~s IN ~nch h~ld 4 maid %
all ~ork oanno' - esI~'s-d Scr-on-
ahly 10 discharge the fuscticns -
csok. lsundrs-~. ohsrrt-ru.A,d t.hle
attendant snd s-n-ru hov~e~ork~ ..
dcs,ly 80 sf-<thl~ts In ~sch deTar,-
men, .an T-sfors- -.~A . p~rlcsl.r
funrsioA