New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-14
Jobs A-PLENTY,
FEW SEEK THEM
New York Hotels Blame
War for Great Scarcity
p of Servants

Despite the fact that since July
wages Of servants have been increased
about IS per cent, from the SIS
month chambermaid to the $500
month cook, there is a dearth Of do
nestle help. Places which a year ago
would have been seized instanty-such,
for example, as that of bell captain AT
$50 a month with board-sre going beg
cling. Hotels are advertising widely;
housewives are in despair, and farmers
are running up distress signals.
This situation, most pronounced In
New York, can be traced directly to the
war. The servant classes are drawn
from the immigrants. They are taken
in the raw by New York hotels and
trained. New hotels are continually
springing up in the West, and they, In
turn, draw their help from the Eastern
hostieries. But in the last two years
immigration has ceased almost entirely
while many French, Greek and Italian
servants have been drawn by the mag
net of patriotism TO their mother couh-
tries.
Local employment bureaus reflect
What the State Bureau of Employment
in Albany has called "a desperate SIT,
nation" The first things that greeted
one on starting up the steps at o9O
Sixth Avenue leading TO the employ
ment Offices of Davis McDermott
we're a mop and broom. in the care OF
one Shorty" who paused with the
mon in mid-air, carefully surveyed the
Young man who had entered, and
asked:
Plenty of Jobs
Looking for job ?"
Save for shorty" the mop, the new
conner and a young man who lounged
AT a desk in a corner of the room, the
place was deserted.
"Sure." said the newcomer.
SCOT plenty. Bartender, bartenders
assistant, glass cleaner at BAR waiter
in bar
The young man shifted his position.
"Ssy," he began, "I'm a newspaper re
porter. and" -
The mop dropped to the floor.
ooh. cheese! | fought yez was
lookin' fer honest employment!
"Shorty" exclaimed, and he positively
was panied. But his good disposition
soon reasserted itself.
"See them Jobs? Good ones! An
can't find nobody to take 'em.. say
lookit the book" and he showed elght
pages-there must have been nifty IN
all-of places for women.
"All of a Clip-Like"
at come all of a clip-like, seer he
continued "They was plenty OF men,
an not so many jobs, see? An now
it's plenty of jobs, an no men. All
of a clip-like. Cheese, de boss sends
me out in de parks, see? An l cops
'em off de benches But, cheese, even
de benches is desoited.
at amt me regular job. No. Toast
roastin is me trade. Maxim toast fer
de swells in hotel, see? ! was up
to Lake Champlain dis summer, see
toastin'. You'd oughter see de way
dem guys eats toast. Fourteen hours
a day | toasts over hot stove: DE
meals was Aller Carter, see? 'S'ard
woik, Aller Carter.
"Say, c'mon in when de boss is in.
Nine-toity of a mornin'. De Office amt
crowded no more. De boss he cops 'em
off de benches. too, to keep his hand in
wit de trade, see. Cheese, 1t come all
Of "a clip-lke."
The suddenness of the situation which
impressed itself so indelibly upon the
intelligence of Shorty" would have
spelt doom for hotels had it not been
foreseen. Most of them have fore
stalled the disaster of being short
handed. Yet the Ritz-Carlton has ap-
piled to the Davis Agency for q pot
washer at S45 a month and board,
whereas few months ago such an en-
Eloye received s25 or $50 and his meals.
Hard-Pressed for Help
Augustus Mule, chief of service of
the Waldorf-Astoria admits that he has
been hard-pressed for help. The Wal
dorf spends each year 100000 in SAL
~,
the $4,000 one man receives to the
SIC a month, exclusive of tips. a cham
bermaid is paid. The salaries of vir-
tually all employees which this budget
embraces have been raised by 80 per
cent since last June.
The Hotel McAlpin, however, has ex-
perenced little difficulty. Hallboys are
paid $50 a month, while the average is
SIS. Footmen are paid $50 and meals
against an average s35; doormen re-
ceive $40, against usual $50. In all
cases the wages are exclusive Of tips.
Smaller salaries we believe to be
superintendent Of uniformed service
of the McAlpin. 1--WE pay our employees
well. offer bonuses for efficiency and
promote men when they deserve It.
Some Of the floor clerks started out as
bellboys. Hotel help is particularly
hard TO get now, but because we have
taken into consideration the human
element We are not hampered by the
scarcity Of servants"
Salaries have been recently raised
at this hotel. however, as well as 9TH
ers. From the domestic point Of view
times are good. Even the salad girl,
who specializes in the mixing Of salt,
pepper, vinegar and oil and in the slic-
ing Of lettuce, has risen from SIS