The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-04
Housewives Union Organized
To Fight Servant Wages.
Many Menials Make SIS .
Week and "FOund."
few GET LESS THAN TEN
Society of City Prepares To
Sling Skillets.
Household Servants Make More
Than Professional Women.
Han the HOUSEWIVES, Union.

Hail the Housewives Union
Out of the anti-profiteerinE cam.
paign may come a union Of prominent
Topeka club and society women who
will buck the servant girl organization.
special committee-names OF mem-
bers a secret-has been named to in
vestigate the servant girl question As
a result of the investigation many wo-
men prominent in Topeka society may
take the vow to do their own house
work until cook lady wage scale Is
lowered
Just at the present time-and for
some months past-Topeka and other
cities have faced a shortage of domes-
tic help. The demand has been
greater than the supply. Many girls
who formerly worked as domestics
have become wage earners in other
lines of endeavor. Consequently the
servant girls have dictated their
wages, hours and working conditions.
Now the society women are out to
beat down the high wage scale for do
mestic help. They will meet the prob
lem by cooking the meals. washing
pleasure to the work OF their own
homes.
All Wealthy Women.
At the state house etoday, where 10
became known that the Housewives
4 Union was being perfected. many pro-
peka women. Practically all of these
women are rated as AA1 in the social
| rate book. Many of them drive high
powered cars or electrics and all en-
ploy one or more servants. Several
| of the women employ secretaries.
J IF the advance in the wage scale
for domestics isn't halted, we will
simply be called upon to do our own
| work." said one Topeka women, whose
standing is beyond all question in
| fa1 xfrle lrn od-
vantage. of the demand for help by
raising their wage demands to an un-
reasonable point, there Is just one way
to- meet the situation. That Is to or
ganize and do our own work until the
girls who are thus thrown out OF em-
ployment are willing to work at a rea-
sonable price"
Many Make SIS n Week.
Scores of domestics in Topeka homes
are receiving $40 TO SIS a week with
board and room, It was stated. This
| wage is declared to be far in advance
of the earning of many trained wo-
men employees who hold down town
jobs. are required to dress in keeping
with their positions and to meet high
| board and room rental expenses In
other words. the domestic is able to
save far more than the average trained
clerk or stenographer. 1t is further
declared that the hours of servant
girls are far better than hours Of wo-
men in downtown employment
One woman today told members Of
the investigating committee that for a
recent dinner party at her home. she
was compelled to pay servants at the
rate of fifty cents an hour.
MY girl won't work afternoons,' 80
complained one woman from the gov
ernor's row district. She fusses and
fumes and threatens to quit when some
member of the family is late to a
meal. Yet she never returns from
her afternoons off before o'clock
She looks after the kitchen work
without any responsibility in the laun-
dry and receives SIS every Saturday
night in addition to her board and
ROOM"
Few Get Less Than SO.
Another woman said that in two
lyears she had been compelled to in
crease the pay Of her domestic from
S6 a week to SIS a week. A compila-
ton of reports showed that few do
mestics received less than $40 a week
with board and room.
| Now Topeka society threatens to
wear an apron. renew acquaintance
with the kitchen range and prepare
their own meals. 1t is a difficult un-
pleasant undertaking. But Topeka
society is ready to swear that enough
Is too much. And formation of the
union means a number of petted and
lpampered domestics will hunt Jobs