New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-21
HIS WAY WITH SERVANTS.
Business Element ObUiates Chaotic
State IN Household.


Il believe that bulletin board would come nearer
70 solving the servant problem than any would
think from just looking al it
Dr. William H Tolman. director OF the American
Insttute} OF Social Service thoughtfully swung the
leaves OF the bulletin board TO and fro They were
big black leaves each little blackboard in itself,
inclosed in stout oaken case which stood up
against the wall and opened like book
Il visited at the country home Of a wealthy
manufacturer not long ago he continued, and ne
had bulletin board like this hung up in a place
where it accessible to all the servants On the
first page he had index in yellow chalk There
was a list of the servants-employes. he called
theu-and after the of each vas number.
Turning the page of this number. the employe
found his duties written plainly there. together
with his time of and the person TO whom he was
responsible. The standing duties, those that We're
permanently his, were in yellow chalk. II special
duties We're put from day TO day. they were in
chalk OF a different color
ct was the business Of every emplOye in that
house TO look his page the bulletin board
every morning. and what expected Of him.
Then there chance OF misunderstanding Or
dispute over verbal order. and no excuse that
the order forgotten.
The heads OF departments were responsible TO
the employer. their subordinates We're responsible
to them The heads We're the housekeeper, the
superiute ndent Of grounds and in a modified de-
gree the butler. This manufacturer bache-
lor. and had always lived in handsome but com
parativeIy small bachelor apartments in inland
city. When he set up this country house his mar
ried sister. who at the head Of a big estab sh-
ment of her own offered to have an oversight of IT,
He laughed and said I guess If I manage
factory with four thousand employees I man
age this house with fifteen twenty.
However, he found there a little difficulty
in placing a residence on exactly the same tasis
as a business enterprise. His idea that he
would make one person responsible for everything
outside, and one for everything inside. He found.
after considerable search competent to act
superintendent OF grounds, with charge both Of
he grounds and the stables He not. strictly
self bur he had business head understood what
his employer wanted and how to get it for him
Inside he wanted TO turn everything over 10 a
borsekaenar IN tbs same vev Rut the primary
end IN having n cook and butler IS TO have meals
got a cook who cooked meals that suited him and
a butler who served them to suit him. he wanted
them let alone. as far as possible Neyerthe!ess
ms business training impeled MIN 70 JRink ina n |
made the housekeeper responsible for the cleanli-
ness and order OF tho whole house, for the pur-
rorcsr1aG M eoob and bnrleT were res6onsibie
20 the housekeeper. and informed that her
reports would be accepted. She was 10 consult
with the employer before discharging a cook or
butler, but over all other house servants she was
View nv manufact4ring friend ran hts house
admirably on this plan. although. naturally ne nad
never MADE a BED or cooked neai n aus ~
must know how 70 do everything herself
should a woman have to know how to cook a meal
order o get cooked any than how 70
make dress. In order 10 get II made \ person
may know when thing is right without knowing
how do H. Otherwise. one who not
trained singer would enjoy an opera he ran his
house on business methods. When he had an order
10 communicate he wrote the bulletin board on
the page belonging TO the head OF the department
under whose Jurisdiction IL That head trans
rnitted II O his subordinate. Also. spare leaf
written the law OF tho state governing the
relations domestic employees and employers,
plainly stating what required OF both parties
Now os course. this man had plenty Of money
He paid his housekeeper SO a month. besides her
expenses. Living ne did and paying the wages
he did he could command the best service ar all
into domestic service would do a lot 20 remove y
from IS chaotic state. or course Tho vast
ma tority OF women who keep servants keep only
IL IN hiring hat one maid the mistress would
have a IttIe bulletin board. ard write a. the
duties expected Of the maid, tH" hours ~ labor.
standing what the maid WAS % DO and leave II
there 10 stare hoSh employer and empioys IN the
face IN they I'D nos ave up iu their agree
ruCur. SIN. would introduce r. business element IntO
domestic service In an other forms OF labor the
erploye fixed hours and definite duties. In
domestic service she seldom knows what she IL
going be called upon 90 do. Generally speaking,
the maid IN family that keeps but one. has all
she DO 20 attend 10 her regular duties y auv
member ~ the family makes extra trouble, ne or
she should do the extra work entaIlet.
''Of course the great drawback Is that the hard
est work usually gets the poorest pay. because IN
families of limited means these two things gen
orally together In such cases. IN order % re-
tain the desirable servants. and keep the domestic
machine running smoothly don't see any resort
hours regular time Of. many privileges ana
"a little eXDert-d we as possible.