The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-12-17
HOuSenaid
Union, Code
Advocated
Wives Charge Trouble is
Really Caused by
Servants.
BY EVELYN SEELEY
Times Special Writer

Atfaet eptetat WEttef
NEW YORK, Dec. The
y housewives have come back at
me for saying Nov. 2e they hadn't
a leg to stand on in the argument
with their maids.
A. woman IN Mt. Vernon has writ
ten me stating a case which, she
says, is typical Of hundreds in West
chester County. She has home Of
seven rooms, a husband. a mother,
a daughter III, and baby months
old. She, with the help Of her moth
er. takes full charge Of the young
sers. Her mother prepares break
fast. The two Of them make the
beds. She does the marketing and
planning Of meals. A servant does
the laundry. They have few guests.
The maid does the busting, gets
lunch and dinner, does the baby's
laundry, scrubs kitchen and bath
room once a week and mops them
every other day.
do you think can get the serv-
ices Of an efficient, experienced
household assistant for which I am
willing to pay $50 month, and car
fare extra?" she asks. NO! One
Just left me and reported back to
the agency from which I obtained
her that there was too much work
for her to 10. To this agency paid
10 per cent Of the agreed salary,
and since this maid left the agency
has sent me nothing but inexperi-
enced girls who want this large SAL
airy and who know absolutely Moth
ing about serving table or preparing
a good meal.
at is a racket to get the house
wife's money every month, egging
her on to think each time she is 60
ing to get a good. reliable girl"
Husbands Blamed
This is a housewife, who says she
is not a snob. a rounder, nor a
bridge player-just a conscientious
wife and mother longing desperately
for a competent, hs ~ household
assistant, and willing to pay her
living wage.
Another woman writes less con-
vincingly that 1 should stop TO
consider the cost of an extra room
for a maid, the cost of her food and
her wasteful practices" She main
tains, i've never seen it fail-that
they will always take advantage OF
your good nature"
And another says it's the hus-
bands. not the wives, who are re-
sponsible for the Situation-that
women may be fair and reasonable,
but forced to issue absurd commands
by "the power behind the throne"
you would rather see an unem-
ployed girl walk out to death IN the
river than accept the $50 a month
for homework and no room Of her
own" another housewife writes me.
The S2O-a-month solution for the
unemployed girls works only when
the housewife honestly gives the girl
the value of her services. 1t should
not be used to cut the whole do
nestle wage scale.
Code VS.. Human Values
All right, there is one leg for the
housewives. I still don't think they
rate two. For, stacked up opposite
their letters, is a higher stack from
domestic workers, telling their ex-
periences.
The housewives stress the human
equation, good nature "conscien-
tiousness." Nobody doubts that
many of them are sincere in this.
But the maids who write see the
situation on a broad scale.
They want it to be free Of human
values with their vacillation. One
asks for a code. another for strike
for "a more. human attitude" and a
third seeks a dynamic leader for a
housemaids' union, with minimum
wage. definite hours. regulations as
to experience and training.
I still believe it is unfair to eX-
plot the unemployed just ito give
them a home" If the housewife
has grievances against racketeering
employment agencies she should
take steps to protect herself. The
maid has no means of protecting
herself against racketeering house
wives. and she should obtain them.
A fundamental occupational STRAIT
UNI should not continue to be based
on human values" alone. There
are maids and maids. housewives
and housewives, and all OF them are
human Tl,ot'S tho trouble