The St. Louis Republic., 1903-10-18
GUILD TO SOLVE
SERVANT PROBLEM,
New Women's Organization Will
Strive to Benefit Both Mis-
tTess and Maid.
. MRS. SAGE is INTERESTED.
Plan Is to Rescue American
Households From The Suffer
ing Entailed by Incompe-
tent Domestic Help.

New York, Oct. 1.-THE women's Do
mestic Guild IS the name OF new or
Eanizatlon that has recently been started
by a number OF prominent New York
women and representative housekeepers
for the purpose Of successfully solving
the great American servant-Girl question.
The guild does not aim 10 be an organ
Hzation Of employers. nor union Of
eseTvantS. but IS intended TO directly bene-
1t both the sorcly tried housekeeper and
the unapprecia1ive maid.
The new organization has ample FUNDS
at its disposal for carrying on its great
work Of rcscuing American households
from the misery and suffering entailed by
Incompetent domestic help. Among the
patronesses Of the guild who Will super
wise its work and personally direct its
polfcv are Mrs Russell sage. Mrs. John
Jav Cisco. Mrs. Il. Christian Bsrgh. Mrs.
s c. r. Dodd Mrs. Willard Brown, Mrs.
Charles l. S-raEUe. the Misses Pondtr.
Mrs. Clarence Burns. Airs. Richard Ester
brook. Mrs. Homer Lee. Mrs. Chauncey
Y. Crapo. Mrs. John Duncan and Mrs.
Joseph Healy.
The guild on October . will open offices
at No. = East Twenty-frst street. Man
haitian. and. among other things. Will
start a registry department for competent
domestic servants.
No servants VIII be enrolled but those
whose references have been thoroughly IN
: vestigated. Prizes will be offered by the
guild to servants who remain in their sit
uations for one year and are recommended
BY their employers.
Larger prizes will be awarded 10 those
remaining steadily employed for longer
periods There Will also be competitive
prizes for those receiving the highest rec
concentrations.
SOME OF THE ADVANTAGES.
ANY woman may obtain years mem
bership in the guild on payment Of 81
This will entitle her 10 certain important
privileges. notably the advantage OF Oh
tanning good servants through the guilds
registry department. on payment Of fee
of - cents for each girl supplied during
the year. No girl viii be given employ
ment by the guild who does not agree TO
remain in her situation at least one
month. II satisfactory to her employer
The guild will strive, in every cOnceiv-
able way, 10 remove the stigma attaching
TO domestic service. which is steadily re-
ducing the supply Of competent domestic
servants. Girls will be inspired by prizes
and other means to take pride in their
work. tu be neat in their dress and TO re-
' gard their caps ana aprons IN uuch the
same way as trained nurses regard their
working Costumes-as a garb OF an hon
orable calling. and not OF a menial serv-
ice
The guild also intends 10 establish com
Portable ClnbroOms, supplied with plenty
OF 5000 literature, IN various ls,rts OF the
city and suburbs. where girls can spend
their evenings after their work is done
As soon as possible a training school for
servants viii be established under the
management OF experienced housekeepers,
also a culinary department, presided over
by competent chefs. There will also be a
room in which dressmalSers and scam
stresses can display samples Of their work.
Branches Of the guild will be established
in all important suburban places, under
the management Of local advisory boards
Of representative women.
The Inducements which the guild will
offer TO the servants remaining in their
places are to Offset the system practiCed !
by certain intelligence offices. which en-
courage girls TO keep shifting and chan /
ginE for the purpose Of collecting extra l
fees from their patrons II Is realized that /
this IS one OF the great reasons that wages l
have been advancing and good servants /
become more and more difficult 10 obtain. I
There are offices which keep on hand de- I
ooys-girls Of excellent appearance who /
answer all questions satisfactorily.
EXCUSE OFTEN FRIVOLOUS.
After one Of these has been engaged. |
she speedily finds some frivolous excuse |
for leaving. The patron is then shown |
impossible substitutes until the expiration |
Of the period for which her fee entities /
her TO obtain servants from the office /
Such Offices are paid by the girls in pro- ]
portion to the salaries they can obtain ]
for them and they will frequently notify 1
a girl to leave one place on any pretense |
so as to take another at increased wages.
The guild has thoroughly investigated /
these and other prevailing conditions.
which. II is believed. have conspircd to /
so largely destroy the home life OF the /
american people It Is a notorious fact /
that the well-knOwn saying that France 7
IS country without homes is rapidly 4
becoming applicable TO conditions in New
York and other large cities.
The rapidly increasing number Of hir
apartment hotels and their enormous nat
rOnagc Is a direct result Of the breaking
up Of homes through the servant girl 1
problem. The equally increasing con-
sumption Of cooked foods. shown by the /
vast number of delicatesscn stores. is only /
one example Of the extent to which house !
holders are compelled to dispense with /
domestic cooking on account of the impOS-
sihiity to obtain competent cooks The /
papers only last week published "A story Of /
q cooperative household being started I'm \
Brooklyn by fifty families obliged TO aban- /
don their separate households through the /
inability TO obtain reliable servants. All /
the women connected with this movement I
who were interviewed. told narrowing 1
stories Of their experiences with the peri- I
DatetiC servant girl, her entrances and 4
exits.
The guild invites practical suggestions 4
from all women who are Interested in its I
movement. and has ample funds fer carry
ing out any scheme which will he condu- I
Give TO bringing about the results for 4
ing Of the domestic situation. and the