The Washington times., 1914-09-21
The Daily
Editorial
For Women
THE SERVANT PROBLEM.

Up In New York they have new SUI
perintendent. Walter Lincoln Sears, for
the Municipal Employment Bureau
He's for the servant girls, and he has
had quite a BIT of good -natured fun
poked at him by the New York news
papers. because OF his ch!valrous at
titude toward the termagant of the
kitchen, whose word is law, and upon
the subject of whose discharge the
funny papers have reproduced many
columns of pictures
Superintendent Sears brought the wit
of several editorial writers to bear upon
him for the following statement:
There is too much snobbery display
ed by many housewives toward hired
help. When You combine snobbery with
low wages you have the solution of
the scarcity Of servant girls Then
he hurriedly went on TO state that he
was not an extremist, and did not mean
that the woman was 10 entertain her
hired help at bridge or let her entertain
her callers in the parlor. But it seems
TO me that he was not such long way
from the truth after all, despite his
Weakened apology.
Now, housekeepers, come right down
to the facts of the case. Women do
look down on their hired help. They
thrust their superior social position
down her throat. and they dr this city,
often do not want a woman whom they
cannot completely overawe and make
do anything" by virtue of their in
tense superiority.
Would YOU work for woman who
a 7
in the morning to at night. who
would not give you anything but the
barcst necessities and put you beyond
the pale of any social life? Il should
think not" you say, Iii would be an
insult to my intelligence
Do you not think that you insult the
intelligence of your servant. and make
deliberate bid tor a cheap and low class
of work?
The intelligent girl who can learn, will
not subject herself to the mental and
physical degradation of being a servant.
The very kind of woman YOU want in
you. homes YOU drive into the shops
and factories and the offices by sheer
reason of your snobbish desire 10 be
the mistress of your own household
with a vengeance.
You have to go right up TO the pier at
Ellis island and nab off the immigrant
girls, don't you? And just as soon as
they get wise" they leave you, don't
they? Why?
Remember that they are human beings
and have their little aspirations just
like you do. All OF the superiority in
the world cannot drive from them the
lighted spark of individualism which be-
gins to burn the moment they put foot
On American shores. Listen 10 the tale
of the rug girls OF iOnkers, In New
York
Five thousand girls work at a rug
factory in Yonkers.
account of the in rho
supply of dyes which CarlC originally
from Germany. these girls ere working
only three days week. They get from
81 to IS.
Johanna Hansen. head of an employ
ment bureau in Yonkers. was asked why
factory girls (the very kind that Tou |
and | want in our homes insist upon
being factory girls. no matter how hard |
The work and how thin the pay en-
velCpe. She said:
Il don't know. ! suppose it is in the !
air of America not to be any one:
servant, Girls will slave for s.
week in a factory, live any old way
and eat any old food. but l cannot Sc
enough capable houseworkers to me-.
half the demands"
Next in line the reporter hurried {,
the factory and asked the factory girI
herself Here's her answer: /
''Hou seWork? Well. guess not. Wei !
stick right here until things get better
or the place closes up.
we are willing to get along on half |
-ations. Anything but housework Mar
,iage? Well we don't want to be rush
ID into that until We are ready. We're
not snGbbsh. il isn't that. But we
want to live. and have as much inde-
,'nGCnce rs We can gel.
We earn more in the factory than
n somebody's kitchen. and when we
get through or work we're done for
he day. with Saturday afternoon and
sunday thrown in,
Il cant exactly explain II. but l