Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-03
HARD LOT OF THE KELLNERIN
Long Hours and Hard Work in Ger
many for Paw That it Not LARGE.

From the New York Sun.
The condition of the mattresses In the
German restaurants is shown by a law re-
Gently passed in Berlin. This new regula-
ton requires the proprietor Of every res
taurant employing mattresses to see that
every woman has at least once a week a
rest Of twenty-foury hours. In addition it is
required that therwamenLhave another rest
OF six hours during the week to allow them
to get sleep enough to keep to their work
without immediate injury to their health.
The hours these women keep and the
amount of work required of them are COM
prehenSfble only to persons familiar with
the conditions under which women in Ger
many are compelled to struggle for their
bread. The kellnerin is really native Gully
In south Germany. But she has been i'm
ported to the northern cities and has -four
ished.
In the beer halls In Bavaria, Wurtem-
berg, Baden and Elsass there are only wo-
men in attendance. They serve the beer,
as well as the food, and they work like Tro-
jams. At their waists leather bags from
which they make change for their CUSTOM
ers, for they deal directly with them and
do not employ the intermediate check.
Every woman receives her regular fee Of
20 pfennigs. They skillful and quick,
and however busy they may be, their keen
eyes see every open lid which reveals the
TACT that the man behind that particular
cup wants another drink.
The kellnerin hustles from table to table
with unf1agging energy. AT the same time
1t is necessary for her to keep in the best
of spirits, be mildly coquettish with all of
her patrons and sentimental with some, for
flirting with the kellnerin Is regular part
Of the game.
Very long hours and working so hard that
they have scarcely time to eat will enable
these women to earn what Is in Germany
regarded as fair compensation. But 1t lasts
for only few years. The strongest break
down under 1t after a short time. The night
hours rarely end before o'clock. At 5 that
day the women must be up to clean out the
restaurant At II they begin to serve meals,
and during the afternoon the quiet is dis
turped by occasional guests At the
crowds begin to arrive and night gathering
continues until the place closes.
Naturally, this record of hard work, cJnl-
bined with the other diversions incidental
to such a way Of life soon uses up the
strength Of the women. 1t Is with lie OBJ
5ect of compelling them to take the needed
rest that the new law was passed in Berlin.
According to It's provisions, the girl has no
cholce In the matter Even II she would
rather remain at the restaurant and work,
she Is compelled to take a day off once a
week and six hours more in the middle Of
the week.
One great reason for the Mattresses in
dustry is the desire to pay off the sum they
are compelled to give for their places. The
post OF waitress in one of the south Ger
man restaurants usually costs 60 marks, or
fifteen dollars. The establishment pays the
women no wages. They are expected to
earn their living out of tips, and they
all succeed in getting along financially
much better than If they went into do
nestle service. But they are better off only
in a monetary way, ys--~
In south Germany the women live In res
taurants, and. as the apartments are pro-
vided by the proprietor they without
any expense Of diving ia north Germany
they are not housed, In all of the restau-
rants. The kellOprn Of north Germany Is
indeed engaged less as a serious employe,
as waiter would be. Than an attrac-
ton to a restaurant. In the southern coun-
a waiter. and the fact that she is able to
impart the charm bf femininity to beer
hall Is not considered. -