Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-13
DOUBLE WAGES FAIL
TO SATISFY SERVANTS
British Workers in Condition of
Unrest; Prefer Other Work;
Ladies" Must Run Homes.
London Correspondence New York Tribune

bTltiSil SSTVanbs AIG SuUtTIilE ifbiu Wdi
nerves. Officials of the Women Workers
say they are unable otherwise to account
for deep feeling of dissatisfaction and
unrest among the servant classes. Domes-
tics are not only dissatisfied with pre-war
conditions and wages, but even when
their new demands are granted they do
less work and do il grudgingly.
Before the war British servants were
plentiful and cheap. They cannot now
be obtained for love or money. The
suffering in servantless England is great.
Even titled households, which previously
servants would scramble TO enter, cannot
obtain sufficient help. Advertisements
appear in the "agony" columns OF the
papers which speak volumes of domestic
anguish Lady Blank, who cannot get 81
'fbetween-maid," says Two IN family.
eight servants kept" II Lady Blank, oil
Mayfair, cannot get servants, the help
less plight of Mrs. Smith, of Upper
footing, may be imagined.
SPOILED ny FACTORY LIFE.
Factory life during the war Is said To
have spoiled tho English girl of the
working classes for domestic service.
She has had her evenings free while
munitioning and now resents the re
strictions involved in domestic service.
The scarcity of servants in Britain Is
growing into a problem OF national I'M
portance Neither the Ministry OF
I.ahor's activities nor the efforts OF pri-
vate institutions which are trying TO
remedy the situation are meeting with
much success At the present time 1t is
calculated there are four vacancies Tor
every application for work at registry
office.
The shortage of servants threatens
Ia affect the English national character.
Snohhism is said 10 be on the decrease
srce ladies' have been compelled to do
their own housework Engllshmen ot all
classes NAV be seen carrying home parcels
for the housc-a thing no Englishman
az the upper middle class liked to be seen
doing before the war.
WAGES HAVE DOUBLED.
A barometer OF the acuteneSs Of the
servant crisis IN England IS the real
estate market. Small houses of The non
basement variety are fetching $4,000 10
10000 on long lcasehold, while large
hbliseS with easements are obtaInahle a
lceys than half this price
The wages of servants have doubled
sinc,, the beginning Of the war, whIle
| the cost Of their upkcep has also increased
proportionately. They submit unwIlllngiy
10 The ccoaomies forced upon theu en-
plcvcrs bv the war. One of the things
to which they particularly object Is the
necessity of eating margarine instead
Of butter, but, as all classes OF the popu-
lstion are nov compelled 10 cat mar
| parine. even tho servants have had to
! tow 10 the inevitable,
| England is suffering from tho growth
/ Of class consciousness among those
/ sections of the population which the war
| has not Ecveled up. The natural outcome
l of this has been an impetus 10 the growth
I az trade unlonism. and trade unions arC
\ making their appearance among domestic
/ servants This movement toward tTade
/ unionisn1 j being encouraged, for II Is
1 hoped that many may again he attracted
| to domestic employment under union
/ rules But It Is expected that some time
must elapsc before the class stigma i ro-
! removed from domestic work IN England
I Formerly caste rules held sway, and girls
were servants if born to that station.
Y LADIES" MUST WORK.
I The great class levchng process which
/ has been going on since the beginning
| Of the war is being helped by the number
/ Of ladies who are compelled 70 carr
/ their living. Many Of these have only
domestic accomplishments and are now
offering themselves as lady cooks anc
lady housemaids.
Many Of the professional classes, ruined
hv the war. have taken TO domestic en-
/ ployment TO keep themselves Ever
ex-oflccrs after rehabilitation have beer
/ known to advertise Themselves As willing
to accept any kind OF eTnpl yTnent IN
cluding domestic posts At the Same
time q very large number oil iormel
| officers servants are willing TO become
domesucs. and this Is helping 10 tide ovel
the crisis for English housewives.
While the upper classes are seeking
domestic employment 10 keep body anc
soul together, the servant classes are
aspiring to a higher position IN hfc. Mis-
Jessie Steven, 3 former k1tchenmald
has begun q political career Of some
promise. She had no difficulty in being
elected at the municipal elections 10 the
Borough Council Of one OF London 4
largest boroughs, Bernondsey, and sh,
makes no secret OF the fact that Bermons
scy is only step toward seat in ParlIa
ment, which she means TO obtain. Mis-
Steven complains of having had wretch
ed time during her servant period. A
a recent National Industrial Councl
meeting she was one of the leading
speakers, with Arthur Henderson anc
Stuart Burning She spoke, IN the pres
ence Of Lloyd George, with all the assur-
anoe Of the other orators and did no
scrupIe to tell the Premier what shf
thought OF his system OF unemployment
doles.
MATTIMoNY's TOLL.
+ One cause Of the servant shortage whicl
cannot be reuIedied is the fact tina
thousands of girls have been taken ou
Of the country by returning oversee
troops The eyes Of all the servant clas
in England are now turned toward The
colonies There are many offers in th
columns of the papers from girls wh'
are anxious to work their way abroad
particularly TO Australia
The tragedy OF the domestic crisis Il
England is that life IS not organizes
for a serYantless existence. English wive
and mothers are due 10 pass throug
trying period until British servant
recover from their attack of war nerves.
xSY