Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-09
Eight-Hour Day for Servants
Would DO AWay With Homes


Dear Madam have read with in
| terest the various letters printed on the
subject of the servant girl and the eight
hour day now being agitated. May
take the chair for few moments on the
subjectf
We have daylight saving for business
purposes. Now we are asked to have
daylight, eight.ho homes so servants
may be relieved Of duty at p. m.
This means a six hour business day.
4 II business people live in their homes
long enough daily to get two meals.
Homes must necessarily have service
hours that overlap business hours.
Il But already the six hour laboring day
Is agitated, and no dvuot the laboring
woman's demands will keep pace with
\ those of the laboring man.. So it looks
as though an even eight hour day for
the helper Of the home with mother"
! son the job all the time, vii! not solve
the servant question after ALL
The home is a twenty four hour in
/ stitution. Can it be condensed. into an
eight hour, daytime working PROPOSE
ton. If Solomon or Brigham Young
were living they might help to solve the
| problem through their extensive expert
ences with "householders. But in this
day of monogamy and of the slogan OF
zone wife for one man." which means
one pair Of hands for all Of the work Of
the home, the eight hour working day In
the home is indeed complex. Nature
herself defantly ignores 1t.
Nature Ignores It
Take. for instance, the ctork. He
Il lust will come at his own good time.
\ When he pleases he will drop his pre-
! cious burden into the home, whether
the union labor hours are over for the
servant or not. What is mother to do
In these hours Of maternity and the
later years Of childnursing and rearing,
with the long croupy nights.
But you say, the trained nurse is
there. Yes, for few weeks, but even
she must have more meals and work
done for her. perhaps, than mother, and
the baby. Then nature does let father
and the children and other dependents
Of the house get ih after the union
labor day. OF course, mother could begin
her shift, but she has already been on
her shift before any one else started.
Mans Problem
The servant problem is really mans
problem.
The erroneous opinion prevails 1t II
for the madame of the house, when it is
really for the master of the house.
Tho whole question of eight houl
working day in the home resolves itsel
into this:
Will man and his children reduce
their demands to actual needs? TheI
further reduce their needs to meet actua
conditions created by the eight hour
daytime worker?. If men and childrel
can do this, and IL business condition
can be adjusted, then the question ha
been largely solved.
1t Is a mans problem!
Almost any woman can take care q
herself, If she can drag herself out Q
bed. And the woman who brings chill
dren into the world and cares for ther
and their father, too, is certainly nc
dependent upon servant for her actus
needs. Nor would you ever see her a
any time Of life standing in line
front Of the Sunday Breakfast Associa
tion doors awaiting it's benefactions {
food. Further proof of this independ
enee of women of servants may
found In the neat, cozy home of an
clean, economical, lone woman. Wha
lone man has such home?
The eight hour day is therefore u
to the man and his children.
Is a man willing to do without hon
life? Or will he reduce the demands {
himself and his brood? Then will /
further reduce their manifold suppose
needs to actual needs, and perhaps len
helping hand in emergency.
Mother Cuts the Pie
Although this servant problem is fe
..'the lords of creation" it is likely tn.
the woman will have to adjust
aftsr all.
Mother" has been able to cut IL
pie 90 there will be piece for eac
hungry child and father, too (eve
though she must go without), 60 1t
likely she will solve the servant prot
lem with the apartment house, CON
munity kitchen and other ''life- saving
devices. For this human animal tn,
poets call mother" simply cannot ket