The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-30

the women who serve them in the shops, or
the typewriters they employ in their office,
or the trained nurses who come into their
homes in time OF sickness? Yet they are
all working for wages. SO long as this
discrimination is made against the women
who do domestic work, just so long will
the mothers in Our tenement houses strug-
gle to raise their daughters as ladies'
Boosting Of their ignorance Of homework
and cooking.
Now, the remedy, as | see it, rests
largely with the women of the country.
If they will treat their servants as con-
siderately as they do women in other lines
OF work their kitchens and maids rooms
will not experience 80 many changes.
But in order to gain respect the person
must have within her that which pro-
duces respect. SO perhaps the very first
step is to raise the grade OF servants
I'VE don't nave to go many years back
to see the change that has taken place in
the position occupied by the %sicknurse.
Many Of us who haven't gray hairs remem-
Der when the average sicknurse was on a
par with the present day servant. To-day
the sicknurse is an educated woman. The
hospitals did that for the profession by
gradually raising the standard for pro-
bationers. | don't say that the hotels
couldn't do as much for the domestic
servant. but | think IL would be hard to get
one to try.
my remedy is the schools OF the country.
not only the public schools but all the
schools in the country where girls are
taught. There are cooking classes in
many Of the New York public schools to-
day and if they went further in the course
the results would be most satisfactory.
II the schools would nave it understood
that all girls must learn TO cook, to wash
and iron, to make beds, 20 sweep and TO
scrub, just as they require them all to learn
to read and write, a great point would be
gained. While it doesn't seem TO me neces-
sary for all girls 10 learn bookbinding or
even the rudiments Of drawing, it does
appear TO me that all girls should know
how to coon and do homework.
such knowledge is never thrown away.
Even where a girl never has to do IL she
makes n better mistress for knowing how
1t should he done. II the schools will take
it up and teach IL in the right spirit II will
than any other plan which | have ever
heard advanced. or course l. don't mean
to&eaoh expert cooking but only the proper
preparation of plain food. What would
like to see Is the same attentlon gwen 10
teaching girls cooking and homework that
is now bestowed on trades and crafts.
We train girls who are to go out OF the
home, why shouldn't we train those who
are 20 remain in IL? Perhaps the reason
for this oversight lie because in struggling
TO prepare girls TO fill the positions forced
on them by the change in our commercial
conditions we have overlooked the fact
that these very changes have revolutionized
our homes. There was a time when a girl
grew up with the knowledge Of all domestic
arts; 10 was not necessary for her 20 60 TO
school TO learn them. That time has
| passed now, because her mother has been
/ forced to the factory or the shop she sees
little work done at home. Or II she should
have n mother who does her own cooking,
the girl In taught 10 avoid all knowledge
OF the work for the simple reason that her
mother, knowing she will have 20 work for
her living, does not wish her even to take
that much risk OF being n servant,
As a result Of these conditions in the tene-
ment houses the food ia almos entirely
supplied by the d~elicatessen shops, |
mean among the younger married people.
The older women have. az a rule, learned
to cook. and while rearing their daughters
In ignorance they still feel the need Of doing
IL 10 their own homes. ateflbute the in
crease Of the free lunch saloon almost