Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-06-06
Roosevelt Administration Seeks
Laurels From American
Housewives by Solution.
RESULT MUCH IN DOUBT
information Received Fails to Furnish
Weapon to Combat Choice
for Store or Factory
Work.

Washington, June 1.-The United
States government has asked for ana
received a special report on the hired
girl question in New Zealand, that hal
cyon land where strikes and lockouts
are forbidden by law. and labor and
capital eat out of the same dish.
Everybody belongs to Il union in New
Zealand, and unions are recognized by
statute as necessary and legal institu-
tions.
The hired girls. like all the rest of the
people. have their union, and it was IN
regard to il that the government
wanted to know. i'm the evident hope
tina the Roosevelt administration
might add one more laurel to its brow
by solving the servant girl problem.
But ii is still doubtful if the feat
will be accomplished in d hurry. Even
with the light from the enchanted isles
where labor troubles are unknown
there does not seem to be amy imme-
diate prospect of reconciling the Ameri-
can girl to getting up first i'm the norm
ing, building the fires. getting break
fast. rousing the rest of the folks serv-
ing the breakfast, eating a hasty
snack herself at the kitchen table,
washing the dishes. dressing the hill
dren for school. sweening the sidewalk,
washing off the front steps, making the
beds, sweeping and Strengthening up
the house, darning the socks, hoeing
the garden. preparing lunch, serving
lunch, boiling another cold snack in
the Kitchen, scrubbing The children's
faces once more for school. sometimes
putting on their cute little rubbers.
nncpping the kitchen after washing
more dishes. bringing in the ice. an
swcring the door bell about 4-ll-44
times an hour. putting on cap and
apron and wheeling the baby up and
down the sidewalk, carrying the steak
back to the butcher and exchanging ii
for a roast, backing the owe. letting
a tuck out of little Angelica's skirt,
preparing dinner. eating some of what's
left in the Kitchen, washing the dishes,
putting the children to bed, sitting in
the kitchen till 1880 in order to get an
after theater lunch for the folks, and
finally retiring to sleep in the only
room in the house that has no heat i'm
it.
The Store by Choice.
II is a matter that even Mr.. Roose-
welt may not he able to straighten out
AS long as the girls can get "A job be-
hind the counter or in the factory and
be a lady. Maybe If :he president can
induce the American girls to form "a
union, same as the New Zealand do
mestics. and can induce the American
housewife to accept the same terms
that New Zealand housewives have to
accept, he may solve the riddle. But
can he?
Following are among their claims"
The weeks work shall consist of /:
sixty-eigh hours. /:
On Thursdays work shall cease
at 2 p. m. ::
On Sundays work shall cease /:
at 2 p. M. but domestics shall. if /:
required. prepare tea between the /:
hours of $50 and $50 p. M. on {:
alternate Sundays. ::
On Sundays TIVE hours shall be ::
allowed to attend church in the ::
morning. !:
Holiday work shall be paid for
at the rate of "A cents per hour. :.
Domestics shall be In every ::
+: evening at 10 y. m. except Thurs ::
day, and on that night at IL o.. m, ::
1t is not known what use the govern
ment is going to make of the informa-
ton on the hired girl question which 1t
has collected. or whether we are TO ey-
pect a special message to congress from
the president and a recommendation
for suitable legislation: but. at any
rate. the information is here and to be
had by all who care to ask for it.