New-York tribune., 1907-12-19
NO SERVANTS SOON.
Better Hours or Deserted Kitchens,
PrODhesies q "Mere Man.

Women have struggled long and vainly with tne
servant problem and has dfsdafned 10 neip
them But now a ray OF light appears upon the
horizon. A man. and he no less parsonage 'iai'
an official of the United Statss government n's
taken up the subject. The funny papers get
great deal of sport out of the relations OF mistress
and maid but l. NJ Rubinow, of the Department OF
Commerce and Labor persists in regarding che
question seriously. He even writes serious artlci
on the subject and one of these. after oeInS 'to-
iected by four five publications whicn thougnt ss
Subject beneath their dignity. was finally puosheo
in THE Journal of Political Economy in OctopeF.
1906 Yesterday Afternoon. the new department oL
domestic administration at Ieacners C0neee "0
Instituted with an address by Mr.. kuoinoW.
roomfuI of women with liberal sprlnkllns ol
men hung upon his words.
Mr. Rubinow doesn't approve either OF the upton
Sinclair or the Charlotte Perkins Gilman Hethoos
of dealing with this problem.
..Mr Sinclair" he said. failed TO understand the
nroben, of domestic service His plan was Simply
to restore the old patriarchal relation under "hlcn
servants were members of the family He wanted
to have the domestic work done by people ~li1
,.o,Id ba desirable as members of the amily. anu
he didn't stop TO consider that persons VINO wouia
congenial to a colony or artisIs' writers an ~
musicians wouldn't want to scrub floors ana wash
disbes Opportunities are not limited that such
persons could not find work more congeniai anu
profitable ..;,,
Mrs Gilman's plan of removing the preparation
of food from the house the speaker reiegated to
.st nresent" he said. there is too much danger
~ od,,Iteration and other things whenever any one
is making money by preparing food for the o'her
fellow
RIbiuoW'S
NJ do,,bt Tnanv housekeepers will unable TO re-
ceiye It. 1t Is simply that the domestic servant
should have regular and reasonable hours, snouId
not be compelled 10 live in the employers mouse,
and should have absolute personal freedom OUTSIDE
Of working hours. To this must be added re-
duction in the amount of work to be done
.'yyhether the wife or the husband or the hired
girl does IT," he said. there must be less OF H.
Mr. Rubnow does not accept the current theorles
about the social stigma in relation 10 the unpopu-
larity of domestic service
from entering domestic service he said, but II IS
the material conditions of which this stigma Is
symbol that drives them out AFTER they ale ~.
You may call your servants Miss or MIS-, ana tney
ought to be addressed You may DO away win
the cap and apron. But you will not destroy the
social stigma until you destroy the condltions 'a
create n 7 know that the plan have advocated
has It's disadvantages But l don't pretend 10 De
Offering a panacea. I am only saying what must
domestic service. If the conditions of domestic
service not raised to level with those oIereu
by other occupations, there VIII soon De no scr
wants at ALL
genial work and better pay than store or factory
girls would be fools TO forsake it. But II does not
do So The Boston Domestic Reform League
found that the average hours OF a domestic servant
we're thirteen on weekdays and eight on Sunday.
AS for better it must be remembered thiit
her food and lodging are part Of the domestic ser
wants paw she would be considered very I'M
nertnent il she asked to see her room or inquired
as to the quality of her food before taking place
She also has to pay for breakaGes- 1 have known
that to amount to dollar a week YET my own
experience is that most breakages occur during an
Mr Rubinow thinks that are no less the
sufferers from the lack OF domestic service thah man
women. Yet his professional colleagues take
no interest in it, and TIE United States government
which has recently appropriated $4,000 Tor an IN
vestigation of the conditions of working women
ord children gives little attention to industry
that employs quarter of the women anu many Oh
the children.