Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-15

'ohtch the facts Of the problem, together
0hh its causes, are discussed.
THE double lure of freedom and money
l. is attracting girls and women from the
ranks of household employees already thin
ned by the end of immigration, into public
positions
The longing for larger incomes and a
sense of liberty, elements not found in the
life of a household worker, was expressed
today by half dozen girls and women anx-
ious to quit their vocations as house SER
wants for anything" that would yield more
money and the consciousness of betterment
in the social scale.
I'm through with housework"
This determined sentence from each of
the half-dozen furnished the clue to the
inroads made on the great body of do
mostics This is like a great Reservoir,
the outlet of which has been left wide open
and the supply stream choked The inflow
stream was immigration, ended by the war
the outflow is the steady stream of do
mestics who leave private work to marry
or so seek positions which they consider
more desirable.
The half-dozen belonged to the outflow.
They were leaving
The scene was a small employment
agency. 1t was not of the better sort, where
there is an air of refinement from the fur
nishings to the manner of the proprietress.
The dim gaslight shone on the gray, un-
carpeted floor. Around the dingy walls
ranged a quadrangle Of straight-back
chairs, uncomfortable to both body and
soul. In the back room the proprietress
smiling and rubbing her hands was hover.
ing over a matron and maid who were en-
deavoring to come to terms
VARIED TYPES
A fourth of the chairs lining the wall
were empty. On six of them sat the half
dozen, close together, as If for protection
a blooming country miss, a hard-eyed, black
haired girl from some western city; young
woman with strong foreign accent, a
gray-haired woman in black with a black
veil, a young West Indian negress and an
elderly negro woman.
The burden of their complaint against
housework was the scant remuneration, the
long hours, the trying situations arising
in the relations between mistress and
| menial and the curtailment of liberty.
mo more housework for me-" volunteered
| the rural damsel. II don't want to dry up
i'm house. l want job as waitress in a
| hotel. I'd rather have a resort hotel, but
| any kind of hotel would suit me better
| than being in private work l want tips"
| You're right, Kid" said the black-eyed
| miss UNLESS l get my 50 a week I'm
| through with housework. I've got S6 job
| now and it's pippin. Cook, wash, scrub,
sew. clean and answer the bell for family
of six. Oo-oo" Her eyes rolled ceiling
| ward.
IT'S restaurant for mine" she con-
| tinued. "A girl friend of mine makes as
| high as $25 a week, Sc as salary and SIS TO
| $50 a week in tips And her hours are reg
ular. It's none of this stay for the party
| please. for her. In the evening when she's
| through she can go TO a party Of her own
II she wants to. And she don't have TO en-
| tertain her gentleman friend In the
| kitchen"
You say you have a family Of SIX" in
| terrupted the woman of the foreign accent
II have seven. And my mistress she equals
| to seven more. This is not right and that
is not right and work from six o'clock In
the morning to bed time. with one Sunday
| a month off and one afternoon a week wher
/ get it. 1 am expected to keep neat and
| tidy when / stand over the stove or scrut
the floor.
"If they do not believe am spy / will
| get job in fuse factory. There l will
make $40 a week and when 1 am through
work / am through"