The Rich Hill tribune., 1910-04-07

~0 most part. entirely un.
conscious OF any neces-
sary connection between herself
and the world outside her home.
The expression employer" brings
to mind the few women OF these
modern days who. by very unusual
ability, have become directors Of
large business enterprises. rather
than the great number OF house
wives. who are the employers In
an important occupation. Domea-
tic service Is an occupation in
which. IN this country alone, over
100000 wage earners are en-
gagged; & Is not only the consumer
Of the products OF large numbers
OF other important industries, but
its products or achievements serve
the most vital interests Of society.
The employer owes II to society
to make the occupation In which
he employs others an efncient
means OF satisfying some human
need In a way that shall be con.
ducive to the economic welfare Of
society. The obligations OF the
employer imposed upon him BY
this position in the social order
may be put into three classes: to
those he employs. in the regulation Of
wages. standards Of efficiency. etc,
and in maintaining proper conditions
for the preservation OF health and so
cial welfare; 10 other employers. In
the same occupation, In regulation Of
wages. class OF service and standards
Of efficiency. and to the employers en-
gagged IN the production OF supplies
for this occupation. In the stability
and character OF the demand; to
those whose needs the occupation sup
plies. in reliability and quality Of sup
ply.
In domestic service. in which won.
en- figure as workers and employers in
overwhelming majority. there are
unique conditions. which make Il an
interesting problem to unravel the
purely economical relationships from
the tangle Of closely related social and
personal ones.
In the frst place. the products or
achievements are such as cannot be
defined in terms Of the market The
selection and preparation Of the food
Of the world and the cleaning and
sanitary care Of its dwellings is the
work Of the occupation. and the prod.
ucts are OF necessity found in the
quality Of the bodily life Of the com.
munity Then. too. those whose needs
this occupation supplies-the con.
sumers"--are members Of the en-
ployers immediate family, bound TO
him by the closest and tenderest ties.
and the employees, more often than
not, are dwellers under the same roof.
thus making OF employer. consumer
and employe one household group,
with a mixture OF personal. social and
economic relationships that no law.
yer, Philadelphian or otherwise. not
70 speak Of any mere woman" has
ever been able to adjust satisfactorily.
From the nature Of the case the OBJ
| legations 20 the consumer" have re-
[ ceived the bulk OF attention given to
! domestic service. Long centuries OF
/ isolation have bred In women its char.
| acteristic evil OF selhshness and obli.
! cations TO her family not only appear
/ TO her as her first duties, but, IN the
majoEity OF cases. have obscured all
othe- Though this obligation OF
maintaining the healthful and com.
Portable conditions Of the home is so
completely recognized. the fact that II
IS most imperfectly met Is lamentably
evident This is commonly attributed
10 the inefilciency Of the available
supply OF employees and. al FIRST glance.
would put the whole responsibility for
the evils in the present 70 the work.
ers in e. The methods OF the prepa.
ration OF food ia the modern family
are for the most part governed by ira.
| dltiou. based upon the more or less
intelligent experiments OF a long line
of female ancestors. or the fads and
fancies generated In idle brains or By
misuscd stomachs. rather than any
knowledge Of the value for support
and upbuilding % human bodies based
upon scientific experiment
From the position OF the empioye IN
the employers household the exist
ence OF obligations % them Is gener
ally recognized. but any general idea
as TO the definition and scope OF
rthese obligations iB extremely vague
Right here is a very delicate adjust
ment Of tie personal aud economic 70
latlons The training that men have
gotten IN the business world. where
the distinctions between perEonal anC
business relations are sharply drawn
has been almost unknown 10 womer
In the past and their propensity 4
mix sentimentality. prsiudlce and pre-
sonal caprice with all their business
transactions Is notorious.
In the economic relation the EN-
ployer owes 10 the employo a definite
reasonable wage for a definite amour
OF service. and. since she Is also th,
educator, she owes such training a
shall bring efficiency She Is also an
der obligations to maintain prope
conditions in the occupation for th
preservation OF health and social wei
fare Such obligations certainly In
clude a place 20 sleep. having th
requisite amount OF air SPACE aud sur