The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-09-20
BY FREpERIc }. HAskIN.i

BY FREDERIC J. HAskiN.
NEW YORK. Sept. 20.--One of the
most popular and SUCCESSFUL ret-rtch-
quick enterprises In New York today
Is the domestic service agency;
the much-lamented scarcity Of serv-
ants-agencles for every nationality
and color, supplying everything from
Japanese butler to Swedish nursery
maid
Gradually the entire population an
pears TO be going into the domestic
service business. Every day one hears
OF some one who has thrown up a per-
fectly good job to take up the more
remunerative occupation OF servant.
scouting. OF some one who has added
domestic service department to his
delicatessen store or tailor shop, while
the occupants of nearly every apart
ment house must put up with the err
ratio services OF janitor who spends
most of his time in rounding up ac-
quaintances who are willing to espouse
domestic service long enough for him
to collect his commission.
II Is a matter of doing a small busi-
ness at a large profit. so that 1t Is not
remarkable that SO many people find
ii attractive. Householders have be-
come reconciled to the fact that they
must pay whatever Is required OF them,
and usually offer slight resistance. In
deed, many househoders have become
SO utterly cowed BY the difficulties of
obtaining anything in New York that
they are prepared to offer large bonuses
to persons who will help them to OBJ
tain really efficient servant. These
bonuses, of course. are in addition to
the usual commission charge Of ten dol
lars per servant. The agencies also coll
ect a registration fee from the servant,
so you can about figure what the profit
for one day of fairly good scouting
would be.
Proprietor Figures Profits.
In many agencies. indeed. there APP
pears to be little work for the proprie-
tor to do but to figure up and collect
his f@es. He canvasses various districts
for domestic help. II is true, but after
he is fairly well known the domestics
come to him for registration: The en-
poyers of servants are required TO DO
the same. The day when cooks and
mattresses came to you to apply for
job in your household is gone forever.
Now both employer and employe meet
In the office of the agency and fight
the battle of prospective employment III
one corner, while the agent retires to
read novel, play solitaire, or other
wise occupy his abundant leisure. In
| the case Of delicatessen store. he sells
groceries. returning only at the hour of
victory or defeat as the case may be-
After making tour OF several
agencies one begins to wonder II the
difficulties in obtaining and keeping do
nestle servants are not In part due 70
| the attitude Of the agents, which in
| many cases, is one of studied insolence:
| They never lose an opportunity to tell
| their customers in the presence OF
row of waiting domestics that the serV-
ant scarcity Is SO acute that the serV-
| ants have the upper hand now; tnat
people must resign themselves to pay
| ing any price for domestic help, ana
that the help itself must be elaborateiy
| { 10 IN where
| 1t is put.
After such harangue, one woman
| who wanted a butler and cook for
country house, the other day, was IN
| formed by two applicants, presented py
the agent, that If they came they would
have to have two hours off each day
to play golf. and that car would nave
| to be at their disposal whenever they
| wished to go back and forth from Town.
| When the DOMAIN demurred against the
| golf, the butler said;N
Golf for the Butler.
well, you said there was a golf
| links. and so far as I can see that is
| the only means OF recreation you have
| II offer US in the country. OF course.
| we are servants (this in the same tone
| as il he had said famous generals },
but servants are in need of recreation
the same as anybody else
Some of the agencies look more ike
salons and tea rooms than like business
offices, and there is one on Fifth ave-
nue. which looks like, and has the same
air of eXcusiveness, as private art
gallery. If you visit this agency to APP
ply for a job you are interviewed in
a small, square little room, with a large
| desk and a typewriter in 1t. II your
need is one servant, you are also apt
| to be interviewed in this room. But II
you want two or more servants, then
YOU are led into another rSom, crowded
| with paintings and statuary and bowls
| of artificial flowers. Behind an an
cient mahogany drawing-room desk, an
| elderly woman is seated grandly on an
lantiuue. throne like chair She is the
| agent. but she does not look up from
| her book. Your name address, tele-
phone number, likes and dislikes fam
| iy history and other details are taken
| down BY another woman, who does the
| interviewing.
| Hmm" says this woman whom you
also gather by her own testimony to ne
| a distinguished parsonage, III you VIII
| come back tomorrow morning we will
| have one or two people for you to see.
| II YOU do not like them, you might come
back next morning. OF course, you
| understand that you will have to pay
| Whatever they ask The least you can
obtain a good cook for nowadays is 500
a month and board. The butler VIII
also receive 800. | think | may posi- /
| bly be able to get you nurse maid
who will come for SIS month Cen
| eral houseworkers? Oh, there are prac-
tiCally no such persons as general house
workers any more; at least, We have
none on our list.