Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-04-08

Ill DAt14No.
country and has father who Is
farmer, her mistress considers her
especially valuable for she can fur
nish the family with butter and eggs
at reduced rates, and besides the
country girls have fewer notions
about their own rights than those
who have worked in the factories,
and they are less likely to object to
anything extra in the way of washing
and ironing.
An American housewife would
think a servant who would do all Of
the above things without objection
treasure. The German woman looks
upon herself as the soul of generosity
and feels that she is imposed upon by
the doing away of customs and rules
Of the good old times before the war
came. Then every servant had to
have a service book which contained
the record of all the jobs she held
from when she first went to worr
at the age Of fourteen. with the opjn-
ions of her various mistresscs as 10
whether she was efficient and will
ing. honest or not. Today the girl
offers Testimonials giving only the
names of her mistresses and If there
is d break III the record she will say
she was sick or off at her home on
vacation and the housewife cannot
object. When the latter gives
testimonial she is not permitted 10
put in anything detrimental TO the
character of the servant. and If the
~ le,
omit the word honest from her state
ment.
Before the war domestic had for
herself only two Sunday afternoons
and evenings off during the month.
but she now leaves the house every
Sunday after washing the noon din
ner dishes. and she wants one even
ing off during the week. The old mis-
tress will raise her hands as she
speaks OF the demands Of the i'm
pudent minXes. ard say that they a.
now even agitating the question Of
working only twelve hours a day adj
ding that she wonders what the world
is coming to in these after-war times
s. r
THE conditions of the employment
bureaus are far different from
those of before the war. Every city
has municipal and private places
where one can hire help, but the sery-
ice books have been abolished and
testimonials only are asked for.
The supply of servants grows less
and less every year. The girls prefer
to work in the factories and the num-
u
bureaus are few. Formerly one might
find dozen girls waiting for almost
any good job Now there are a score
of housewives ready to pounce upon
the first that comes in. and il is the
girl and not the mistress who ques-
tions the details. The girl wants to
know the number in the family. what
kind of food she is to have. and
whether the washing will be sent out
or not. She even asks as to the re-
ligion of her employer sometimes oh
jecting TO working for a Jew and
sometimes preferring such places be-
cause the city Jews are now better
off than the average and are noted for
having good tables and giving good
tips.
There is a general movement among
the German women to aid one anotha&
in cutting down the high cost of liz
ing. There are leagues which hat
schools and exhibitions showing tho
best methods of household economy
7 went to such place the other day.
1t was backed by the Housewives
League and two of the largest house
hold schools of Berlin. 1t showed all
II
gas and coal. Old wooden boxes lined
with straw and rags where the women
put the food when well heated to
finish the cooking. thus taking the
place of the fireless cooker, were To
be seen, and also an apparatus for
preserving fruit and vegetables with
out boiling. The apparatus pumps
the air out of the glasses after the
stuff is put in and presses the lid
down. In the mountains of Virginia
where live in the summer they have
a similar way which the women call
air fighting.
About the room were women show
ing the visitors how to serve meals
cheaply, and how to prepare fish so
that 1t Is as wholesome as meat and
much cheaper They have also plans
of reducing the household rent by the
utilization of sgs-ce by turning the
living room in.o a bedroom at night
In this the dining table can De
changed into a washstand and the
lounge into a bed.
This same Housewives League has
just instituted system of fairs
which will be held every so often.
to which women can bring their old
clothes, shoes and linen for sale or
exchange.
The Housewives League has re-
Gently established a permanent store
in the palace of the kaiser for the
sale of secondhand valuables. Ole
china, silver. fine lace, paintings
leather goods and other curios are
brought in by private persons and
given to the ladies in charge.
Copyright. 1928, Carpenters World Traveis.l