The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-07-10
RESULTS OF LABOR BUREAU IN
INVESTIGATION OF DOMES-
TIC SERVICE
HOUSEWIVES PROLIFIC
IN PROPOSED REMEDIES
They Give Facts Regarding Servants
Needs and Shortcomings, With Many
Suggestions for an Improvement of
Relations Between Employer and
Emploved,

Labor Commissioner John O'Donnell
yesterday completed a report which is
as important as it is unique and inter-
esting, and which will be widely read
and will undoubtedly result in a dis
cussion ana agitation which will be Of
great value This is the compilation
of results obtained in the investigation
recently inaugurated by Mr.. O'Donnell
for the purpose of ascertaining in a
completer way than has hitherto been
known the exact condition of the do
mestic wage Garner in this state.
He sent out blanks to several hun
dred employers of domestic wage earAz
ers, asking them a number of questiOhS,
tending to show the relations between
employer and employed, the general
conditions of domestic service, the eX-
listing faults of domestic service and
possible remedies. The work has at
tracted attention throughout the Unit
ed States. The complete results are
now first published,
There were 692 reports on the quail
fly Of work done by the. domestic serv-
ants and of this number 10 reported
excellent service, 1872 good n salts
factory, 224 poor, 10 unsatisfactory and
% most unsatisfactory The employ
ers report the following reasons for
dissatisfaction with their servants: In
difference, incompetence, ignorance,
stupidity, shiftlessness, lack of train
ing, lack of practice, lack of principles,
want of brains, laziness, untidiness,
too much gadding about, too much
lovemaking and too much time given
TO church going.
enofh oF Sarvice
OF the households reporting 70.7 per
cent had 1 domestic, 20 per cent and
per cent servants. One of the
questions asked was the average
length of time one domestic remained
in the household. Seventy seven re-
ported the employment of but l serv-
ant during the year, 80 reported 2 serv-
ants, had 4, 10 had 8 and others ran
as high as u servants in one year.
One woman reported that she had
had so many she could not remember
them all. Forty-six women believe
that the efficiency of service is on the
increase and 81 believe otherwise.
One of the questions about which
difference exists is the question of
whether or not special instruction adds
to the efficiency of a domestic and just
how this instruction should be receiv-
ed
One woman writes that she employs
five servants and all have had special
instruction and good education, and
She adds that whenever a domestic
proves worthy she sends her to school
If necessary.
Many Plans Suggested.
Sixty-five employers favor special
instruction and twenty-five do not.
The suggestions are many. One be-
lieves that the schools should teach
chemistry as applied to cooking, an
other that there should be special
training schools for servants; others
believe that dOmestics should serve an
apprenticeship of one year without
pay, many say that the most needed
thing is early training in Homework in
a good home by a sensible mother. One
advocates lessons in laundry and ele-
mentary cooking in the schools, anoth-
er suggests a scale of wages for grades
of competency, another would like to
see six months training school in
housework established at the state ag-
ricultural school. One woman writes
instruction for mistresses is needed
far more than instruction for serv-
ants"
Remedies suggested for existing diff
fculhes, mainly the dislike existing
among girls for domestic service, are
equally diverse. A majority of the
women answering say that the domes-
tics should be treated better that they
should not be made to feel that they
are hired girls" that they should be
made to look upon labor with respect,
that they should be paid higher wages.
given more leisure and more conf
dence.
Twenty-Five employers report the
average days work for their domes-
tics as eight hours, IL report nine
hours, 81 ten hours, 20 twelve hours, 4
report fourteen hours and TO- six hours.
Servants Leisure Hours.
The question of leisure time has an
important place. Most of the women
report that the domestics have Thurs
day afternoon and Sunday afternoon
and evening off. Others give their
servants two afternoons a week off.
one favors giving the servants four
hours day to herself. Others believe