New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-20
TEA SHOP GIRLS WAGES
London Mattresses Get Small
Pay for Hard Work.
CAREERS SOON CUT SHORT
Youth and Good Looks Count
for More than Experience
or Technical Training.
From The Tribune's Correspondent,

From The Tribune's Correspondent,
London, April l2-For some time -.
Women's Industrial Council has been O.,
gagged in an INQUIRY into the wages ~,
conditions Of work Of the tea shop cir,
and the councils extremely interas,..
report, signed by Miss Barbara Draks
has now been published. OF the man.
varieties of working girl there is nom
better known TO the casual observer ;h.,
the waitress OF the family tea shop. and
none less known than she to the critical
student OF social problems.
Youth" says the report, "a good man.
ner. a tall figure, sweet SMILE a brigh,
complexion. sound teeth. a good consri.
tuition, are advantages which count 70,
more than either previous experience q,
technical training" in the tea shon
Drawn from various sources, the wait.
ress is. without exception" a marryins
girl: Ito the work girl of eighteen who
means to marry, and TO marry Well, the
tea shop has something Of the fascination
of the ballroom for the leisured youns
lady of another class"
As regards her earnings a small hxH
wage paid by the firm is the common
practice of the trade. the method By
which this is supplemented either from
tips, from a commission on bills, or from
both, differing between firm and firm. On.
great firm, for example, employing SON.
two thousand Mattresses. pays a fixed
wage Of Is Cd week from which de.
duction OF is. Cd. is made for the midday
meal. leaving a net figure OF IS. To this
is added 2ia per cent commission on bills
an amount which varies with the activity
of the place and the waitress's own stand.
ing. The smart waitress in Central Lon
don shop takes i'm this way anything from
IS. or IS. I'm a slack August week 10 los.
l2s. or more in the busy season. and her
total earnings for the week may easily
average l5s. or over
Wages Very Small.
In other shops of the same firm in less
busy districts the earnings Of competent
waitress. after the Is. Cd. reduction Tor
food. may not be- more than l2s. or even
lis, the fixed wage I'm each case being the
same No gratuities are allowed by this
firm. a box being kept from which the
waitress may or may not receive an extra
few pence a week.
Another firm. employing about one
thousand mattresses. gives the same -
per cent commission. the regular wage
being rather less than rs or e.. a wees
Tins are allowed. but are of little account
The weekly earnings. after the Is Oh. De-
duction for the midday meal, are IRON
los. or rs. up To lis. los. OF a little more
one pound sterling a week, or hiile
over. is maximum figure tor tsi
shop waitress. An average of JOS. ne'
is A first class wage; a more commel
sum is l2s.. "and many adult waliresse'
earn less" Deductions are scnefals
made for breakages. being CHARGED 10 th'
culprlt herself or the stan AS Wnoie.
The practice OF fines is waning. and icao-
ing firms have already given II mp me
common practice is for the waitress %
find her own frock. and for the firm to
provide. free Of charge. caps. aprons ahv'
i'm many cases. washing as well tafes
are heavy item, not inirequen~
10 IS. week aud more
Eiqhty Hours a Week.
Hours vary considerably. Some OF the
smaller firms demand eighty hours
week or more. With the biz companls
regular hours are. as a rule. from my
five 10 sixty week, but over and ABOVE
the normal day there is the constant over
time. (which is seldom. If ever PAID io'
bv the firm \ girl may at any TIME "
called on to work a long day; that
To say, from a. m. TO 10 y. m, OF 70 'o'"'
plete long day at another shop an"
she has finished work OF her own. Ever
the ten-hour day is quite long enough f"
the waitress has duties which do not AZ
near on the surface, and seldom II eve
has a moment i'm which she sits down
In addition TO half holiday a Week.
holiday of one week during the MIST seo
of service and OF TWO weeks alle4Na'u
customary. Some firms pay the ful' ies,
lar wage for the whole fortnight JIM
firms pay wages for the first week o'"''
In one respect the waitress appe"s
favorable comparison with the N".
She is seldom out of employ ment' On "
other hand. her career Is soon cu' s"V',
For many a girl the best time is w
before she is thirty" the effort oi -.
older woman To maintain hef pos''
being one of the pathetic eplsooos -
trade. II she is not "shelved sue
driven from the beloved haunts q. ",
civ or the Strand 10 the hmoo u
waitress-the tea shop OF the suburb.
The two reforms most neeae" ~
tea shop are concerned with 10"
and long hours. The report suse'S
b, ninimtm wage of Us. In 10 80
should the figure be less than los -
corld then be discontinued.
is A growing distaste in regard ~
among the more seIf-respecuns -,
girls. and many mattresses, WEE -,
able to live without, would be siau
the method abolished. says 'ns l,n,r
The commission system, on tue
hand. is generally liked. .u,,oa
The report also advocates the -
of the long day of fourteen "o" tx
ten-hour day or a hfty-iive-houF All
being more than full days OF ii
veek's work. IL overtime is worHe'' n.
.A,,ta h., mid for by the firm ~ 'uo