New-York tribune., 1901-12-11
AFFECTING DOMESTIC SERVICE.
A PREFERENCE DISPLAYED BY EMPLOYEES
FOR SPECIALIZED WORK


FOR SPECIALIZED WORK.
In her report of the domestic service problem
made under the direction of the United States In
dustrial Commission. Miss Gail Laughlin estimates
that there fully million and a half OF do
mestic employees scattered throughout this entire
country. in almost many homes.
Miss Laughlin began her Investigations by send
ing out through the medium OF women's clubs
from 450O to 5000 schedules to employers OF do
mestc labor. making inquiries regarding wages
paid hours Of labor character of service rendered
personal character and nativity OF employees pre-
vious training had by them for their work. the
sura,ly of competent labor and the general condi-
tIons affecting domestic service. Recipients OF
these documents also invited to contribute
suggestions as to what could should be done
for the Improvement OF the relations existing De-
tween raids and mistresses. Fifteen hundred
other schedules containing similar questions were
sent to employees through the medium of employ
ers and empIovment offices of the better class.
but there was a general dsinclination on the part
Of employees make replies.
Reports from 653 employers received. These
concerned 1,266 and women employees or
these employees. 223 per cent were 1rfsh 22s per
cent Americans. POI per cent negroes. and lIs per
cent Germans. The average wage paid to men
was So 03 a week. and 10 women s. 81 week
Nrety-two per cent of domesttcs were reported
honest
Women employed to do general housework are
maid less on an average. than those employed as
cooks mattresses or chambermaids. All the en-
poyment bureaus reported that the great majority
of employees wanted work as speclallsts-coohs
mattresses, etc-while the great majority OF en-
pIoyers wanted girls for general housework Inc
nreferentA OF girls for the specialized work is
clearly accounted for. Miss Laughiin says by the
fact that such work is both easier and more high
" paid. Hence. a rule. only the less competent
girls who cannot get places as specialists VIII
undertake general housework. and the supply is
inad the demand
The most common complaints on the part or girls
to domestic labor were the long hours required
the isolation from the companionship of other
Young people employed in similar work. the In
considerateness of employers. and above all, the
senseless social stigma attaching to houseworK-
In discussing the feasibility Of cooperative
housekeeping Miss Lsughlin quotes Professor
Lucy NJ Salmon, of Vassar College. who says: 1T
seems inevitable that eventually all articles or
food will be prepared out of the house except
those requiring the last application of heat. and
that scientific skill will reduce to minimum the
labor and expense of this final stage of prepara-
ton. This change is in direct line with the ten
dencv toward specialization everywhere else found.
TO do exclusively that thing which he or she can
do best =, 80. -.
the four houses used as dormitorles for the Two
hundred women of Chicago University cooking Is
managed the cooperative plan all the roasts,
soups and bread being cooked in general kitchen
and meals served separately In the four houses
Miss Laughlin believes that the fact that the
home is not founded primarily on an economic
basis and that reference to it, the ideal is not
the elimination of individual variations of taste
and the reduction of results to a common standard
but rather the cultivation and qualification of in
dividuaI tastes will forever prevent the appica-
ton of purely economic laws to its management;
but that the principles applied to other industries
will to a somewhat greater extent than Is now
the case. be applied TO household labor is In
eyita