New-York tribune., 1909-11-03
MISTRESS AND MAID.
Each GiUes Her Side Of the
.SerUont Problem.

national union of mistresses and maids
is the remedy suggested by one English
woman for what she terms "the great
canker that is undermining the social life
and happiness of the middle classes &.
the servant problem In the current
"Lady's Realm this Englishwoman gives
"a ladys opinion" on said problem. In the
same magazine "a servant presents her
views the subject, and the two
articles are illustration of how differ
ertly two people a thing sometimes
when theh positions differ.
"A separate bedroom, good food. refined
surroundings, certain wage. continuous
and not laborious employment. are assets
worthy of consideration" says the woman
who writes from the point of view of the
mistress while the woman who writes from
the servants side complains that maids are
compelled to swallow their meals in a hot
kitchen redolent of all manner of cooking
smells expected to eat from heavy
dishes and with silverware whose silver has
long since vanished and that in many
houses it is not customary to allow the
maids table napkins. She says that in the
places where she has worked the maids had
no place to sit but the kitchen. and that
this and other things put in the way Of
the maids seeing her friends make her life
perhaps the most solitary life of any class
of working women Maids she says have
given many instances of long delayed pay
n.ent of wages and unsatisfactory settling
on leaving place" Maids are employed
to do certain work, and then "all the odd
tn SKIS of the house thrust upon
them Few employers respect their ser
wants as equals. One of the most common
usages of disrespect is the addressing of do
mestic helpers by their first names IF
this is custom growing out of intimate
personal relations why isn't # re-
ciprocal?"
Domestic service has its advantages. this
servant says-a home. good sanitary condi-
tons. better pay than in factory work;
but other things are not equal
"A woman may be most lovely and un-
selfish in ordinary affairs of life" she says,
but If you come to help her personally
for pay the new aspects of that woman's
character surprise you. She feels she has
bought your regard for her wishes to the
exclusion of any Of your own. OF course,
many are most considerate. but 1t is even
in this very consideration for her feelings
that the sense of class distinctions is
evident"
the mistress thinks it is fashion that has
decreed that domestic service is de-
grading profession for any lady who re-
quires to promenade the streets, visit the
cheap music-halls, and figure at the
skating rink She thinks. however, that
the modern mistress is partly to blame for
the fact that it is so difficult, not merely
to get a good servant, but 10 get any
servant.
Forgetting the social economic, and
political changes that have occurred she
declares, the mistress has been too un-
yielding, too tenacious of the old order,
and not willing to sufficiently adapt her
menage to the new"
To bring about a better understanding,
TO protect the good mistress and the good
maid, she suggests mutual organization.
There must be, too. she says. an increase
or wages, a system of promotion, rewards
for long service more privileges for maids,
and attractive uniforms.
The woman who writes from the serV-
ants side suggests organization OF
domestic helpers alone-an organization
for social purposes, for that is one of
the great needs of domestic servants