Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-03
ESEWTVES SEEK
IN VAIN
loyment Agencies Are
Gmped With Applica-
6ns They Cannot Fill
0MEN DO OWN WORK
Ind Il Impossible to Hire
y IniSls for Domestic Service
Since War Began

lcials In local employment bureaus
4e been swamped recently with appli-
utns from boarding-hou keepers and
Aousewives wanting servants.
* had to close my boarding house n
4 month ago because l simply could not
: Get maids to wait on tables" declared
ono woman. az wasn't Il question OF
money, either. because got so dos-
I perate would have paid anything with
il reason.
''Mollie, the cook. said all the girls
we're going into war work. I am just
~ pAtriotic as any one" the woman
sontinued. "But I make my living by
Eeeping boarders and feel that it IS ouc
s 81 the essential businesses even in war
time because people have 10 ca; ard
tAere are many who must board"
Many women in prtvat" families who
< nave always kept Servants are now
doing their own work because they have
been unable to hire girls. The question
has become so serious that labor officials
decided to do Il little investigating.
Few Seek Domestic Service
we have very fcw applicants for
z domestic service" declared the director
Of the Government employment bureau
I At 134 South Third street. There arc
plenty of them who say they have done
4 IEousework ali their lives. but want now
to 90 into some of the war industries. If
fou ask them why, they explain they
\ are tired OF low wages. uuendtug labor
yand the ceascless ragging Of II thought
less mistress"
Most housckeepers it is said, offer
from $6 to So Il week for competent help.
while factories are paying from $40 TO
SIS week for women beginners.
Just stop and figure it out yourself
said the labor expert, The domestic
servant in the private home is expected
to be ON duty at least by 1850 a. NJ,
4 often earlier She cooks washes dishes.
cleans the kitchen and dining room and
does hundred odds and ends that keep
her constantly on the jump.
Though she may not be supposed to
take care Of the children too, the house.
7 wife leaves them at home, because she
knows they will be safe with her while
she goes about the city.
The Maids Side OF 1t
"Perhaps there is company for dinner
and the maid Is kept in the kitchen until
; late in the evening. She works seven
days q week. with perhaps a half day
on on Sunday. She is treated constantly
- q servant. bossed within an inch of
her life Her social welfare doesn't
mean a thing to her mistress. So long
e - she does what she is t1ld to do the
employer is satisfied.
snow look at the girl in the factory.
The factories Of today, you must re-
i member, are not like those Of few
months ago. Today they offer good
wages pleasing environment. certain
s. amount of social life and quite often
Lzeha advantages Of rest rooms. reading
= rocms and dormitories. Some of them
: rs their employees six days week.
others only five and half. The hours
ere definite and when the woman leaves
s the factory she knows she is through
y FOR the day
True. the labor experts admit the fac
j tories have had to make their surround
sfy,es and work as attractive as possible
"a ret the women. But it is up to
housewives to compete with factory at
fractions to obtain servants, 1t Is de-
eiared.
Pay High to Keep Maids
.'women who are paying s11 and sl2
= week 10 thei- servants are having lit
I tle trouble to retain them,' declared a
s labor director,
s.You know" she went on, Il think
! more women should do their own house,
work. anyway. and give their servants
4 20 the Government for this factory work
that is so essential now Statistics
4 v1sow domestic servants have expended
4 the least money for training and are
4 the least educated of almost any class
4 Of women workers.
most Of them adapt themselves to
<,tory, work quickly and prove quite
lficient. Women of higher intellect and
6ader training will not enter the fac
bffes to do the common work unless It
" 6ecomes absolutely necessary. There
e 80 ether places for them. anyway"