The Washington times., 1916-12-19
SOUTH, TOO, HAS
SERVANT PROBLEM
Editor Of Southern Woman's
Magazine Gives Her Opinion
Of the Situation.

"Say what they will about science
and system as a solution OF the serv
ant problem, the great secret still lies
with tho attitude of the mistress to
ward her maid" said Ammo Rankin
editor of the Southern woman's Mag
azine, n publication which is accom-
plishing much toward knitting to
gether the Interests OF the women
south OF Mason and Dixon's line.
when the time comes" she con,
tinued, that servants are no longer
subordinates they will not be good as
servants, no matter how scientific
they may be. And as long as they arc
subordinRtes II is up to the woman
who II their employer TO be their su.
perior in Intelligence and tact. DO
not misunderstand me to mean that ]
am against modern methods In house.
keeping. | simply hold that to i'm.
prove the method OF housekeeping
WILL be OF no avail II the attitude OF
the mistress In not right: that In her
and nowhere else exists the key TO
the situation"
Southern Servant ProbIem.
with the colored population that
you have In the South, do you, too,
have a servant probiem7 Evidently,
or you would not be discussing II In
your magazine"
"Oh, yes!" she responded quickly.
ITS case OF one black servant af-
ter another! You see the old genera.
tion OF Southern women knew how
to handle colored service. IL r. an
art and she was supreme mistress OF
IL. But a newer generation has come
up which has been careless OF the
rules OF It's foremothers. And also.
on the other side OF the case the type
OF ncgress In tho South has changed.
so that even had the women romcm.
bered and adhered TO the rules OF their
grandmothers, u would not have
worked out with entire success. Nd.
JustmentS are required to deal sue.
cessfully with the present race OF col.
ored folk. what Is needed IL the
preservation OF the old ideas Of super
vision combined with Just the suffi.
cent readJustmrnt 70 the character OF
the colored servant Of today to bring
the method up TO date.
Uncomfortable Quarters.
For example, there are any number
OF places scattered through the South
where the servants room In In n little
house In the yard. uncomfortably fur.
nished, and where she II provided with
40 means OF protection. Add To this
the tendency to treat them like ma
chimes and 10 be. very often, unreason.
able, Now that IN not after the old
order In the South, The servants then
were regarded as human beings, az
children, and they received the most
soiicitous care from their mistresroE,
Southern women wcrn teachers, nurses
and guardians TO their black servants
There IL n quality that sometimes eS-
lists In domestic as In all kinds OF ser
vice that cannot be paid for That y
the element OF personal interest IL
Is invaluable. The only way II " To
he obtained in handling people who
are working for you II to be eterDhlly
alive To situations from their point
OF view a. well as from your own.
In this little symposium We had In
the magazine In which ] offered "A
prize for the best letter ON tn. sub.
ject. We received n really wonderful
letter from n colored man, That Ms
much as anything confirmed my belief
In the necessity OF not ruling nrbi'
traTily and without thought, nut IN
trying 10 work with employees md To
keep their perspectives In mind"