New-York tribune., 1907-11-18
REDUCING DOMESTIC STAFF.
Financial Situation Causes Some Households
to Do with Fewer Servants

The small housekeeper who is counting up5n the
present financial stringency and the consequent
reduction of large establishments TO solve her SER
want problem is reckoning without sufficient know
ledge. according to Mrs William e Wilmerding.
whose business as visiting household manager and
general provider puts her in position 10 speak
with authority this subject.
''It IS quite true" she said. that many estab-
hshments are being reduced. but the servants dis
charged are specialists and will take positions
in one and two servant homes. They will have no
difficulty IN finding the kind of places they ac-
customed to in the country, and will be willing to
take these situations soon they find city ones
not available
AS for the effect OF the present situation upon
the alleged naughty spirit of the modern American
domestic, Mrs. Wilmerding said:
I can't speak for all servants but the class of
servants am familiar with do lord it over
anybody. Neither have l any reason 10 regard
them as pampered class Their wages are none
too high Tor the work they do. l know one family,
for instance, in which during the illness of its
mistress seventeen separate meals were served
every day, and the work was all done by cook
end kitchen maid without a murmur-
First there was the servants breakfast, then
there was the nursery breakfast then there was
the gentleman's breakfast, the invalids breakfast
and breakfast for the two trained nurses. At Il
o'clock there was another meal for the invalid, and
at noon there the servants dinner, the nursery
dinner and the trained nurses dinner. AT o'clock
there tea and at $50 ice cream and cake, both
Then came the servants supper the nursery sup
Per, the nvalids dinner, dinner for the gentleman
and his friends. and a separate meal for the
trained nurses Finally there was late supper
for the trained
In many small apartments where only one ser
want Is kept and the washing sent out the work is
not hard much as that of each servant
when twenty are kept
7 know another house where fifteen separate
trays go up TO the bedrooms every morning when
guests in the house, no one coming down 10
breakfast except the man. who goes to business.
family Of five asked 10 get them a cook who
would do all the washing, including the babys fine
dresses and they thought It strange that couldn
I'll the place Another family Of the same size
expects one woman 10 keep the house in perfect
order and do all the cooking and washing, except
the shirts.
The house is a large four story one, full of fur
niture.
1T is absurd to suppose that because a great
many servants kept IN large establishment
they have easy time. There is plenty for them
20 do. ana their numbers can only be reduced oy
reducing the establishment. This is what many
wealthy people have done. Wages have not been
reduced yet.
Comfortable sitting rooms are found in many
houses In one servants sitting room there is a
piano. a nice little library and good engraVlngs on
The walls. One woman OF high social position not
only has a piano for her servants, but hao her
butler take singing lessons while he was In her
employ as Buttons Do the servants appreciate
It? They do. and good ones Will not take advantage
of such privileges &c. .
trim abroad during which she visited TangleT
Switzerland. Holland, Italy and Scotland inns was
the first rest she had taken since she went INTO
business on the death of her husband, twelve years
ego At that time it not so usual as II IS now
for women OF social position to go into business
and her enterprise attracted much attention. Mrs
ZKIrnerdine made such success OF her particular
line that she has had many initators ana mas al
times been reported TO be afnlatec Win tleIn' ou
she still remains independent, and has returned
---i.b q fresh zeal for business, Of which she has
bad &C much as she could attend to ever since she
started.