Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-02-20
An Englishman' Account of Our
Situation.
The Large Number of Our Wealthy
nnd Fashionable Folk who Have
Taken to the Enthusiastically
of Servants "a strong Con-
tributory Cause.
(From tho Manchester G~uardian)

the sum OF ilbS, II Is reported. n guest
may reside for a year in any hotel with
in the system, removing as the fancy
takes him from London to Hastings or
from the lax district to Buxton. 1t was
suggested that this development may
herald a Dig social change in English
life. It certainly denotes an approach to
the popularity of the hotel in America as
a permanent place of residence. ono has
not heard of any group of hostcirics in
the United states which interchange
their guests at a uniform inclusive rate,
but the abandonment Of private house
keeping for hotol. life Is n tendency that
has been strongly marked in that coun-
try in recent years.
It is mos noticeable in New York. In
that city there are said to be moro than
100 hrst-class hotels, of which nearly 40
are described as large" Tho current
edition Of the Social Register shows
that 5000 families in New York-that Is
to say, Al per cont. Of the wealthy and
fashionable people who are entitled to
be recorded on that exclusive" list
have given mp their own houses to live
in hotels. The increase in the number
Of hotel residents as compared with the
"transients," as they are called Is not,
however, peculiar to New York, but is
Illustrated in every toxin Of considerable
size and wealth. In Washington the oflic-
il congressional directory gives hotel adj
dresses for the great majority OF mem
bcrs of the House Of Representatives.
and for a fair number Of senators. In
the case Of congrcssmon, Of course, the
hrevity Of the sessions, TO say nothing
Of tho shortncss Of the average members
term, makes ii inoXpcdient to set up a
house in the capital.
TIL reason most commonly alleged for
this tendency is the servant difficulty,
which, owevcr troublesome in England
for families os moderate means. is far
moro acute In America. not only for such
households. but oven for the weather.
classes. Native white Americans abSo-
lutely refuse to enter domestic service.
Except in tho South, the negro is not n
satisfactory o" available substitute. The
gap has therefore to b. filled by immi-
grants. mainly Irish and scandinavian in
the East and middle West. and japanese
or Chinese boys on the Pacific coast.
Unframed European girls coming
straight from tho toughest farm work
arc able Immediately on arrival in New
York to secure wages that in England
would be paid only to efficient servants.
After a very few months experience they
have no difficulty in finding places at
CT q week. Out West ii is said to be
oven more expensive to secure n compel
ent servant unless ono is satisfied with
the help of Oricntals. | heard recently Of
tho family Of a professional man in Cal
ifornia who declared themselves willing
to pay SIS n year and her outward trav-
cling expenses to n thorough capable
English housomaid who would undertake
not to discard cap and apron while she
remained there. It should further be
noted that not only is the difficulty Of
obtaining servants greater than in Eng
land, but also that the proportion Of mis-
trcsscs who are able to hold the reins
i'm their own households is smaller than
hero. In many n family which has made
its pile and has come 10 a big city to
spend it the lady of the house is not
afraid Of hard work. and would be quite
able 10 undertake every domestic task
herself. but she has not acquired the art
of experimenting a household and keep
ing its staff in order. For example. an
English lady, calling not long ago on a
regular 'at home" day AZ a New York
house, was surprised to find two foot
men playing cards in tho hall. Il is OBJ
viously a great rchief to an inexperienced
woman or to one with many social en-
Eagemcnts to bo able to throw upon q
hotel management the entire burden Of
securing and controlling servants.
\ contrihutory reason. more generally
recognized by foreign observers than by
Americans themselves, is the gregarious-
moss of the American temperament. The
average American abhors loneliness. lie
considers privacy "undemocratic." Tie
stir and movement of the hotel are more
attractive TO him than the quiet isolation
of tho private house. There is not only
the common dining room with its gayoty
and brightness. but the public lounge in
the entrance hall, whore the gossip of
tho day can be exchanged with all COM
ers. To Q great extent living in a hotel
is a substitute for membership Of a club.
In England the social functions perform
cd by the village inn or the public house
in the working class noighborhood are
ignored by the colder and more sedate
hotel, but in America there Is hardly any
| institution of the kind too select tn DrO-
vide abundant opportuuitv for free talk.
Some of them are recognized centres OF
information on business or politics. OF
late years in any financial crisis the pa
pors the next morning have usually re-
ported not only the proceedings in Wall
street during business hours but the
rumors that have circulated in the corri-
doris of the Waldorf-Astoria in the even