New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-25

the servant question In European countries
esneciallv France where there is large
American colony. is insignificant compared
m What IL is here Housewives who nave
lived in both countries would probably pre-
for 70 saw that the problem is different
Hours OF work are different, and while the
French girl quite expects 20 perform many
small duties that are never asked Oh
general servant here. good deal OF neaVy
work like washing and baking is always
done outside OF the house. The French maui
puts up with discomforts that an AMER
can would not, but she has a great oeal
more liberty, and the American system OF
conhning a household worker TO her kitch-
en- all day long would never be acceP'A"ie
10 the Gallo temperament.
Theoretically the French servant Is tx
nocted 70 begin work at in the morn
ing and TO finish not later than O'CLOCK
in the evening. but this is far from mean
ing that she works for fourteen consecutive
hours In fact half-past seven Is the aN-
erage hour when she begins WORK tnls
being made possible by the fact that the
first meal in France consists only OF coNee
and rolls, the latter furnished by the oaKe''
II there is but one maid she commences
her day by doing the shoes OF the who're
family and brushing muddy garments Il
there are two or more maids this task
falls To the second maid who also does the
greater mart of the household cleaning, for
the cook is out of the house for good part
OF the forenoon doing the days marketins'
This duty is one OF tire bright features oI
the life Of the French domestic serVan'
and IL would be very difficult 10 deprive heF
OF II. Not only is II profitable to her purse
but II provides the social excitement anu
intercourse that the French nature Graves;
the market is TO the maid what the care
and afternoon tea are TO her master ana
mistress The second maid also has her
share of Suites that take her outside of me
bouse. she accompanies the children back
and forth from school and Is sent on family
errands.
Undoubtedly social conditions are pleas
anter for the maid in France than III
America She has more personal inde-
rendence than is the case here, due to the
construction Of the apartment houses
which places all the servants rooms n the
=, mansard story. AS rule. each maid mas
a room 20 herself The mistress furnishes
t. but after she gives the key Of 1t to
tho maid IL belongs 10 her as much as X
she hired IL at hotel. The mistress has
access 10 the room and the privilege OF
examining the contents OF the girls trunks,
tut only in the girls presence. This habit
% slowing away the servants on the sew
enth floor is often referred to as one OF
"a - Il oct 10 70
vice abroad but 1t would probably be hard
10 find servants who wished TO sleep IN
the apartment. once on the seventh hoor
they are free. II they go out In the even
ins no one but the concierge who opens
the street door for them knows what time
. they return There is no way OF reaching
the servants quarters after they retire 10
them save By narrow stairway. which IS
common 20 all the apartments in The house
emo for Use Of the servants and trades
people only
The Paris born GIL generally prefers the
factory or workshop 20 household service.
Moreover. as the child Of working parents.
living in one or two rooms. she is rarely
trained for household work. Most Of The
servants come from small towns or the
country
Tn, fact that 4 large number OF men are
doing domestic work in France seems 70
sive service d rather more dignihed stand
ng than IL would have otherwise. man
is often employed TO do what We call sec
ond maids work in this country. Among
men workers there is already union. and
IL will be extraordinary Il in a few years
We do not see some sort Of an organiza-
ton among the women. In fact. there Is
a growing tendency 10 regard household
work as a trade. and 20 include the work
ers in il as a part Of the laboring class.
Already certain legislation designed 10
benefit the aborng class has been ex-
tended 10 cover domestic servants
The most conspicuous example OF this IS
the employers liability law, which makes
the employer responsible for any accident
that the servant incurs while performing
his or her duties II the cook falls on the
kitchen floor and breaks her arm her EN-
plover is responsible for her medical at
tendance. her board and wages during the
, tir,e she is laid up and. II the accident ne
NJ a permanent nature. he Is liable for
life pension the amount Of which the
courts will decide. Employers protect them
selves against this liability by insurins
their servants against accidents
A compulsory day OF rest has only re-
Gently been granted all shop assistants. and
This will probably be the first demand that
the union OF domestics will make. so the
housewife in France is confronted by rath-