New-York tribune., 1920-01-25
trnn@ Tide of Immigrants Brings No House Servants
The Hopes of the Housewives Are
Dashed by the Reports That
Come From Ellis Island

women who may, in large sense.
be classified under the same heading
At Ellis Island the records show
1hat the tides Of immigration, so
long pent up by the war, are be-
ginning to give indications of flow
ing again, this being especially true
OF travel from Italy. In the thirty
days ended January II last, 10000
immigrants from that country, vir-
tually all from it's southern cities
had arrived in New York City and
there were indications that the num-
Der would increase from then on.
But P. A. Baker, veteran superin-
tendent of the immigration station.
who is, perhaps, as we'll posted in his
particular line as any man in the
country, issued q warning in giving
out these figures.
A New Lineup
"The United States must be nre-
pared for the possibility of never
returning to conditions as thew ex-
listed before the war;" he said. ct
IS possible that never again will the
relation Of master and servant in
this country be what it was. It NAV
be that the servant class, so called.
may disappear entirely, or, if not
entirely, be subject to radical
changes. l do not say this will be
the case, but say it is entirely pos
sible. The aliens who are coming
into the country, or are expected,
have been influenced by new teach
ings. New theories of the social
situation have also been preached
IN this country. Many are display
ing aversion to being classified as
servants VINO never protested before.
In the United States, Of course,
American women have long had a
dislike for this kind of employment.
"1n my own time I have seen
many changes in our classes of
servants. When 1 was boy they
were almost exclusively Irish, Scotch,
English and German. Afterward
Polish girls, Lithuanians and girls
from the West Indies came in, as did
also some Japanese. When the
United States. entered the war, still
many of our servants were Irish, Ger
man, Poles and Lithuanians. But
many changes had come, and who
can tell what is still in store for US?
PERSONALLY, and in my own home,
am so convinced that there will be
more notifications of the old order
that my two daughters are being
educated to do their own housework.
The women of the United States who
are looking forward to immigration
to restore the old supply Of servants
may do we'll to give thought to this.
Persons who have talked to such
immigrants as are arriving, and are
IN touch with the thoughts of many
people on the other side of the At
lantic, make similar suggestions. The
old order may never be restored"
This is an extreme view, seeing
that returning travellers report that
fully half of Europe" is anxious to
migrate to the United States as soon
es restrictions on travel are removed,
but it is supported by many authori-
ties in the field of labor.
Disappearance of Class
II agree with Mr.. Baker that
seemingly permanent changes are to
be expected" said Franklin d. Sco-
field, employment manager for one
of the big chains Of hotels in the city.
"The so-called servant problem must
hereafter be approached from new
perspective. We probably will have
less class and more cooperation.
This seems to be the unmistakable
spirit of the times. / myself do not
believe conditions as they once cx-
listed will ever be restored. Certainly
we cannot look to Americans to sup
ply their own servants, as American