The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1908-06-04
SOLVING SERVANT PROBLEM.
Commissioner Watson, OF South Carroll.
ma, Believes BE Has Found a S0lu.
tlOn Of II ln the Importation of
English-Speaking Girls.
Charlotte Observer.)

In the experiment which Commits.
sioner Watson has started of substi-
tuting high type of English-speak-
ing household servant girl for the ne
gro servant girl he is convinced both
from employers and the girls them.
selves that he has firmly laid the
foundation for successful, practical
solution of the v+xed negro servant
problem in this State, and if the ex.
pertinent proves success here it will
"be go" throughout the South. AT
ter repeated failures through four
years hard work the commission is
now satisfied that success is at hand
The first experiments along this
line were with foreign-speaking peo-
pie, and in every case this proved a
failure. These are the kind of for
eign servants that are being placed
to large extent in the North. Com
missioner Watson then concluded
this ssection would have to have a
higher type than is used in the North
in order to supplant the negro, who
is daily growing more useless and
exacting, and that the new servants
must speak English. He was furth-
er persuaded that the newcomers in
order to be satisfied themselves and
render satisfactory service would
have to be in touch with the other
members of their families, so as to
give them the restraining influence
of the home touch and alleviate the
social alienation which had made
other experiments with English
speaking girls failures. According
ly persistent, energetic work was
carried on in the desirable farm sec
ton of England with literature,
lectures and personally conducted
tours with big vans.
The thirty-three English people
brought here less than month ago
and located in and around Columbia,
Edgefeld, Abbeville, Greenville, and
| elsewhere in the State have written
letters to the department expressing
satisfaction, and every girl so located
has written letters through the de-
partment to friends and relatives
abroad urging them to come on to
South Carolina and live.
A Columbia case that has proved
a striking success is that in which
a former Charleston lady Of means
employed two English sisters, who
have written numerous letters back
home urging their friends and rela-
tives to come here, and whose mis-
tress is Dragging on them through
out the town. 1t will not do to mix
white and colored servants in the
same household. This has proved a
disastrous failure in Columbia before.
This housewife therefore discharged
her three negro servants on taking in
the newcomers and tfe result has
been perfect satisfaction on both
sides. The parents Of the girls have
been placed on a dairy farm near
Columbia, and by telephone and fire.
fquent visits they are in constant touch
with each other. An older sister,
who stayed at home with her grand
mother, is now on her way to Colum-
bia. Six other English farmers
located here at the same have writ
ten for their families to come on to
Columbia.
The department has suspended all
efforts to get immigrants to come to
the State for the present. In the
fall vigorous campaign will be re-
newed among the English farming
people, but even then only share crop
pers and small purchasing farmers
will be asked to come. Of course
what people may want to come in as
a result of the experiment mention
ed will be taken care of.
Early in the fall Commissioner
Watson hopes to see the new steam
ship line from Great Grimsby, Eng
land, direct to Charleston, in opera
ton, which will be a further induce
nent for these people to come to
this section, and locate not only here
but throughout the South. as it is
the intention to have the ships stop
in Galveston and Vera Cruz as well
as in Charleston. The principal reas-
on for failure of the former expert
ment of direct line to Charleston
was the fact that a full return cargo
was not provided. With the new
scheme, however, Mr.. Watson say:
full cargoes both ways are assured
entirely Independent of either
Charleston or this State as whole
The incoming ships will bring people
from England and Norway anc
Sweden and articles of commerce
from South America and the out
going will carry raw cotton to tn,
i l..