The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-28
SkYSCRAPING PAY OF BUFFERS
THEIR WAGES HERE TWICE As
HIGH AS IN EUROPE.
Now York women Complain About IL
themselves 70 blame for the High Scale
Few Americans Ameny the Highly
PAID Seryants-NlOre Demand for Them,

PAID Geryants--MOre Dcmsnd for Them.
There are many complaints nowadays
about the high and ever highe.- wages de.
handed by English and French buffers
| in this country. The grumbers, as a RUE
are women who have lived abro adj. visited
much in the best private houses and kept
| house In the English and the French capitals
| They are familiar with conditions in Europe
and are apt to compare New York prices
with foreign standards
The colorecn butler In New York began
to be displaced by the English butler about
q quarter of a century ago. To-day there
is scarcely a New York family with FASH
iona1le aspirations that Is willing to dis.
pense with the services of an imported
butler This probably is the reason why
the buffers wages have been doubled almost
in a decade aud why he IL paid about twice
as much over here as in Europe
Said New York woman, who has lived
much abroad when this question was up
the other day: II pay my butler $50 a
month and my second man $40 ! have
friends who pay their butler 500 month
$50 far as Ivy experience goes, it is i'm
possible to get first-3ass man under tho
sum pay The men have tried who asked
$40 or $50 month were practically Useless
when it came to a question Of elaborate
entert ailments They were fit only for
the port Of second man.
AT G. ne time it was not 80. Ten years ago
I could get splendid English or French
butler for $50. suppose It's the increasing
demand for good buffers that has sent
prices up, but all the same think the present
scale OF wages paid to them is outrageous.
ssOver in Etgland almost the very highest
price paid to but liz 80 month or what
would be the equivalent of fifty American
dollars. And to receive 80 much he nusb
be an expert, the sort of butler, in fact,
one seldom sees in New York.
The majority get only $40. And. as
than those of butler in America. In
Scotland Ireland and on the Continent,
wages are lower if anything than in Eng
land
ocean they would ask and get. too; at leasty
$50 month, and the less accomplished Of
their kind, who at home are paid $50, would
get at least $50.
aHow about the American butler? Well.
there are SO few American buffers that
tbey scarcely count. Occasionally young
man born here of English or French parents
has presented himself for the post of second
man, and in that capacity has done very
well but so far have not had an American
butler apply. lWOnOea why Auoio iAIici ANoh'
men don't go into training for the work
I'm sure it pays enough
At an intelligence Office that provides
buffers It was learned that the Englishman
was considered the most desirable butler,
and next came the Frenchman.
.No family" said the manager, that
IA in the habit Of entertaining can get
satisfactory butler under $50. 1t is per-
fectly true that buffers wages have gone
IN steadily in the last five years IN America,
but the American women themselves are
most to blame for 1t.
Il have many a time overheard Gus
toner offer a butler she was particularly
an xious to get five or ten dollars more q
month than his usual wages. Naturally.
aver that the mao would refuse to take .
lower sum in any place to which he went
sThat is the main reason why the buffers
wages have continued to 60 up. The only
way now to alter the situation is for all the
New York mon and women who employ
buffers to agree on a schedule OF wages
and absolutely refuse to pay more. But
Of course they won't do anything OF tho
No" he concluded, we seldom have on
expert. For reasons best known to them
selves American men don't fancy the work