New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-09
Servant Girl Problem Is
Solued by ':Factory Hours -
New System, Which Involves the Eight-Hour Dav.
Is To Be Taught at tn Washington Irving High
School

ers who would be willing to come into
home on the old scheme Of Giving
in" These women felt about-some
what warily at first-to see whether
their housework could be rearranged
and readjusted to the limitations Of
a laundress who came by the dav. to
small girl who would come in after
the kitchen, and to women of the
neighborhood who found it necessary
to add to their income by doing work
outside their homes, and so consented
to run IN and cook the meals" of
the woman who couldn't get a cook
day and night
But this system of day workers
proved inadequate and wholly unsat-
lsfactory. One woman said:
with the cost OF food soaring at its
present elevation, we figured that it
cost US at least 81 day to furnish
meals to servant who lived in the
mousse with us. In addition, we had
her laundry done. With the $50 a
month saved on her room and board
alone, we decided that we could get
some one to come in four hours dav
and exc out the time that regular
eight-hour assistant would be away.
Accordingly, we advertised for a
household assistant and to our great
surprise were flooded with replies.
More than forty of these seemed suit
able, and of these we selected the best
to interview. Ten were asked to come
and talk with me, and the night before
they arrived my husband and planned
the housework on straight industrial
basis. The eight-hour assistant was to
come at I o'clock in the morning. hav-
ing had her breakfast at home. She
would prepare our breakfast, serve it
and wash the dishes. The remainder
of the morning she would dust, clean
SILVER and do anything | might require
OF her Two mornings a week she
would thoroughly clean our little
house, and | was to continue to have
washwoman come in to do the
laundry, as | had always done. even
with servant who lived in the house
prom II to II she would have
an hour off, just as any girl employed
IN store or business office, during
which time she would go home ard get
her luncheon or spend the period as
business girls spent their noon hour
At II she would return and prepare
my luncheon, clearing it away when
for the day. The next hour is always
more or less free one in my home,
so | decided that The 4-hour assistant
who was to come to me for the $50
which would save on board and lodg-
ing of the oldtime servant should
come at 4. She served tea, prepared,
served and cleared away our dinner
and left at s o'clock This 4-hour as
slstant happened to be a woman who
lived near me and was trying to
educate her son. She did not want to
spend the day in an Office or store, as
she had duties in her own home to at
tend to and was glad to make little
extra money in this way
Pay for Overtime
with both assistants | made q
definite contract as to the duties re-
quired of them. Both were to be
household assistants, engaged by me
as their employer on the same basis
that business man would engage
them. They were to be prompt in re-
porting at work. efficient in the per-
Torrance Of their duties, and on them
rested the success of the scheme One
was engaged to work eight hours a day,
six days a week, the other four hours
day for the same number Of days
Both were to work overtime whenever
it become necessary. with the express
stipulation that they were to- be paid
stated amount extra for such work
Although | outlined to each what her
uuIleS were 10 pc, particularly stated
that anything l might require done in
the working hours of each was to be
carried out
My assistants were delighted with
the arrangement. They entered upon
their duties with a zest | had never
seen in the domestic servant who felt
she was but little higher than a slave.
In every way my workers were made
to feel that their jobs were compa-
rable to those of girls in offices, depart
ment stores or any other branch of
industry. Whenever it came to-
question of overtime, I had little