The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-08-19
BY SOPHIE IRENE LOEB.

Copyright 1917, by the Press Pub Go.
(The New York Evening WorldD
The secretary of labor, w. b. Will
information contained in the govern
ment report as to the conditions OF
wage earning women
one of the startling findings in the
report is that the servant girl and her
field of work are the most open To
criticism concerning her development
and welfare and that more rules and
regulations in her interest are most
important The following statement
speaks for itself:
"A large proportion Of women who
have gone wrong comes from The
ranks OF domestic and personal Scrr
ice and from housekeeping, not be-
cause these occupations necessarily
lead women into conflict with the
laws. but because they are the chief
pursuits open to the kind Of women
| likely to come into conflict W''h TIN"
laws and also because these occupa-
tons have in themselves but few re-
straining Influence for such women.
THE days become lonesome and
monotonous--a round Of drudgcry.
HcN nave Ho IlDSp'Ib VI liSiIS w
anything higher, SO that the sppr Of
ambition does not drive them tol-
ward in the right way and thor" Is
no social standard of their own class
to hold them back from the wrong.
Their wages are small ana their
chances of innocent amusement few.
And while external circumstances are
thus all aaginst them. they have few
resources within themselves to offset
the dullncss of that routine
Another significant statement comes
from the senate vice committee of IL
linois which agrees with the federal
authorities and says:
Until the system of domestic ON
ploymcnt is entirely recognized to
conform with the American rpncep-
ton of the true dignity of labor it
may not be possible for the woman
in comfortable enough circumstances
to employ one or more female Serv-
ants to escape Il certain unconscious
completely"
The two authorities in presenting
these facts ask for the earnest con-
sideration of the people. The whole
subject is worthy of considerable re-
Election. especially by the woman who
employs the servant girl.
Many a woman would be shocked if
she We're told that she is largely re
sponsibc for the downfall of the girl
who works for her. as seems to bc III"
opinion of these governmental authori-
ties
But if she will look the matter
squarcly in the face she viii realize
that there is something to be done on
her part which she has probably left
undone.
For example, a maid takes n posi-
ton in the average homo, where
there are no special servants quar-
tiers. Arrangements are made for the
afternoons and evenings out. and
when this is done the average house
wife considers that she has carried
out her part of the contract.
She is usually opposed to the maid
having company" and generally re-
fuses such a request. She eases her
conscience hy deciding that sh"
should not let people whom she Goc.
not know come into her home, and
further that she cannot he reSponsl-
BILE for the morality of her servant,
etc.
In word. she doesn't deem it any
of her business. on the other hand,
she likes the girl to take the same in
terest in her work as if it We're her
own home And nine times out nf
ten it is the only home the girl has
She eats there and sleeps there and
lives most of her time in that home;
and yet she is outside the pale as far
as any right she might have in her
environment as a home.
She must seek her pleasure out
side the precincts in which she works,
eats and sleeps. With any other call
ing it is different, because she goes
out to work, and when she is through
at given time she has opportunity
to make her own social atmosphere.