The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-10-08
GRAVE PROBLEM
FOR HOUSEWIVES
Domestic Help Scarce, High-Prieed
Inefficient and Arrogant.
HARD LUCK STORIES TOLD
HAPPY HOMES BROKEN UP BY
SERVANTS DEMANDS.

HOUSEKEEPERS and employment
n agencies say that al. no time in
the past ten years has there been
such a shortage Of help for general
homework as at present. Good house
servants can get almost any amount
they ask for their services, and many
housekeepers willing to pay the top
prices are without help because of this
shortage. Manly reasons are given for
the local conditions in regard TO help.
some Of the agencies claiming one cause
and some another. re-
There are too few girls who know
their business. was the statement
made by one yesterday, and there are
too many who would rather do any
thing than homework, either at home
or elsewhere. Girls brought up in Utah
are not taught to work in the proper
way. They are allowed to do slack
work and when they go out to work in
another family they do not give good
service. Then, too, at present the men
in the country places are all employed
and girls whose fathers and brothers
are all employed will not work for
wages. Any good girl expects some
time TO have a home of her own, and
the best girls who hold places are the
ones who get married soonest. because
the working men who go with these
same girls choose their wives in this
way. Some of the shortage may be ac-
counted for by the fact that higher
ages are paid in Colorado. Butte and
California. and many girls go TO these
places TO seek employment
Declares Girls to Blame.
Another says:
1T is the girls own folly which keeps
them from seeking homework here.
There are few places where girls are
given as good homes or as many priv
ileges as they have here and although
there are some places where they are
not so we'll treated. the ma jOTity of
homes in Salt Lake that employ help
have proper places for their girls to
lliVe and be comfortable. They are paid
higher wages than are many who en-
gage i'm skilled labor. Wages range
from 81 to IS Il week. and with this a
girl has her board. generally a COM
Portable room. and the food that is pre-
pared for the family. If this food is
poor it is frequently her fault. Girls
who work in shops are not paid any
such wages. nor are they allowed any
OF the privileges that the ordinary serV-
ant girl asks I'm this city
One agency has been established for
the purpose of taking country girls and
finding suitable homes for them. the
/ financial side of the affair being sub
merged, it is claimed. The head of this
states:
We are endeavoring TO place good
honest country girls i'm homes that are
suitable regardless OF their creed. and
out Of 10 girls settled in places since
last summer there has been but one
complaint However this does not
mean that the girls are competent.
They ask high wages. and are incapable
of doing general hOuswJrl2 or of cook
ing the simplest meals. They want s.
and S6 a week without the washing,
and viii demand that they have every
night out Then. TOO, the girls are not
any more to blame than the women. II
is getting so that if woman has a
good girl she dare not say so TO her
most intimate friend. for fear the
friend will offer the girl dollar more
week and take her away
When Moving Pays.
Housewives account for the shortage
in many ways not mentioned by the
employment agencies. Why" said
one of them, Il know of cases where
employment agencies have kept a few
good girls for whom they easily secure
places. For this service they charge a
fee of 81 from the girl and the same
from the housekeeper. In addition TO
the regular fee the latter knows that
she may secure a better maid by pay
ing an additional tip. No sooner has