The Washington herald., 1915-01-11
New Ways of Solving The
old Servant Question
When Maids Form Unions to Protect Their Rights Mstresses
Should Organize for Better Understanding
of the Problem

The housemaids of the land are up
| in arms for their rights and the house
mistresses Of the land have difficulty
in maintaining theirs. In several cities
Cleveland, for one - housemaids'
| unions are forming with the object of
educating maids to do their work sci
entifically. In many cities there are
purpose of which is to initiate house
wives into the scientific side Of house
keeping and to look into the relation
Of mistress and maid.
Ignorance-sometime on the part of
the maid, sometimes on the part of the
mistress, sometimes on the part of both
is doubtless at the bottom of the
trouble surrounding the problem of do
mestic service in this country. Educa-
tion is the one means to solve the prob
lem, and every effort made to further
this sort Of education is a move in the
right direction.
Many maids who enter service as
general houseworkers are spoiled in
the first month in their first position
through ignorance or laZiness on the
part of their employers. Habits are
easily formed and broken with diff
Guilty, and IL a mistress let's certain du-
ties go undone just because her new
maid is green" she will have diff
Guilty later on.
When a woman hires an inexperi
enced maid she should to begin with
like the maid and feel that she is will
ing to spend time, patience, and con-
sideratIon in the new maids training.
Understand Each Other.
Next she should come to an under
standing with the girl about wages
make a definite. proposition for a GER
tain wage, with regular increases at
stated times until a maximum wage
is reached.
The mistress should then map out a
plan OF the duties the maid is expected
to perform. Honesty concerning hours
Of meals, number in family and fire.
quency of guests is a good policy. II
maid is told that unexpected COM
pany to dinner is not unusual, that
luncheon must sometimes be served at
IL, sometimes at 1880. and that in few
weeks some cousin or aunt or grand
mother is coming to spend the rest
OF the winter she generally accepts
the facts as stated with much better
grace than she would accept the Wis
iting relative, the shifting lunch hour
and the unexpected company without
previous warning.
A new maid should never be taken
on when the household is not running
Is illness and the house is turned tOpsy
turyy for the accommodation of pa
tient and nurses: IL 1t Is housecleaning
time. or II there is holiday crowd OF
children home from school and visitors
on hand. Proper training Of maid
at such times is impossible.
Making q List of Duties.
It is a good piaa for the housewife to
give the new maid list of the duties she
is to perform. II the maid objects to
their number and character perhaps a
little consultation about them viii bring
about an understanding satisfactory to
both.
general hOusework maid is supposed
to care for fires, piazzas and sidewalk;
sweep. scrub. clean windows and beat
rugs; keep kitchen and dlning-room and
pantries in order: clean the silver, do
plain cooking. and IL the laundry work
Is not heavy. do that Nowadays. how
ever. II Is always necessary to come to an
understanding about this branch OF the
work. II the laundry work Is heavy ana
q laundress is employed the general maid
Is generally required to iaunder certain
articles, such as table linen. dish towels
and her own clothes.
Aside from these duties the general
h0usemaid's duties diner, She 3 gen