DOMESTIC SERVANT PROBLEM.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2419, 6 February 1909, Page 2

DOMESTIC SERVANT PROBLEM.

DEPUTATION' TO THE HON. « FOWLDS.

A • deputation .from the Canterbury iSlieopowners’ Union, consisting of Messrs Walter Macfarlane, X). 1)'. MaefarJanOj Wilfred Hall and F. H. Labatt (secretary) waited on the Hon . G. Fowlds at Christchurch' one da* last week in regard to the shortage ot female domestic servants. Mr Walter ■Macfanlanc. said that for years past there had been a. grew I shortage, not of domestic servants, but of female labor of all classes. Instead of the position improving, ft had become more unsatisfactory every year. A sufficient number of "women —-although' there wore plenty of men —were not coining to the Dominion. The matter was one which affected all classes of the community; .ami more especially those, in the country districts. Girls had a .great objection to going out into the backblocks, and the cities were not nearly so badly off. According to the census returns, there was a preponderance, of 54,000 males over females in New Zealand. In Britain, females preponderated to the number of one and n quarter million. From that it would appear as though they should ...be able to dra w upon Britain for domestics. The speaker had heard of a factory’ whose, machinery was standing idle on account of the dearth of female labor. The Minister: Have you any special plan whereby the shortage can be overcome ? •Mt Macfarlane replied that the Go'Vernmeii'E was helping in a small way, but at could assist more by sending an emigration agent to Britain. Many of the immigrants coming here were not of a. .suitable class, and should be sent hack. Even waifs and strays came out. If an agent went Home lie could select suitable girls from the country districts. The employers would have to do* their share bv advancing the passage money iv they could secure the right class of labor. The agent should travel through Britain and possibly through parts of the Continent as well, and a depot should be provided here to keep the girls until they were sent to their destination. The main thing was to get the suitable kind of persons to come out.

Mr fD. D. Macfarlane said *the female labor agents were able to supply only -a. third of the demand. Many •people i&l not make tlie application for servants because they knew it was hopeless. Many ladies in the country had got into a perfectly hopeless state, and were enduring a condition of white slavery. Their constitutions were ruined -and they did not dare to add to their domestic responsibilities. As -a result the birth-rate was diminishing instead of • increasing. J n the towns there was sgpie hope, but in tlie country there was not. The rich people were not affected so much —it was the class that could employ oidy one servant and could not afford to pay high wages. The ladies of Hawke’s Bay had brought out girls at their own expense, but in some respects this system was not satisfactory, as after the employers had <rOne to all the expense of bringing domestics out they left and went to somebody else. The Sheepowners’ Union thought of doing something like that, hut did not care to overlap upon the Government organisation. They recognised that the Government had done some good at Home, but it had. not gone far enough. The present tests imposed at Home (certificates from a clergyman and a doctor) were not sufficient. Means should he taken to see that the girls were capable of doing what they said that they could do. An agent sent Home by the Government would sec that only capable girls were sent out. Danish, Swedish, German and French girls might also be. secured. The matter was one that affected the settlement of the land. Women as well as men were necessary to make settlement satisfactory. If a man could not get a wife there was no inducement for him to go away from the town.

Tbc Minister said no doubt there was a 1 awgeekinsati.sfied demand for female domestics in New Zealand, and the Government -was anxious to assist in any reasonable way. The class they had been ‘getting was fully satisfactory, but the trouble was tliat it was not sufficienly numerous. »One great difficulty in sending an agent Home to engage labor -was the liability it cast upon, the Government to provide employment for those who came. For that reason he would like to see an extension of the Hawke's Bay system, whereby girls were selected and sent out by the British Women’s Emigration Association. This body had better means for getting into touch with the right class than -any organisation of the High Commissioner. The difficulty of girls not staying in the.ir situations was one that everybody had to face. Most countries set their face against contract labor. He was fully conscious of the need for getting a larger number; of women to come out-, and also for getting the best class selected. He would have the matter very carefully considered and see what could-be done. He was not sanguine as to the appointment of an -agent to go Home, however. They must remembe-r, -also, that the dearth of domestics was being felt at Home as well. He would be pleased to cooperate. in any reasonable way with tlie body tlie deputation represented, and If there was any proposal to form an association on the Hawke's Bay lines, he would be glad to extend the same facilities to It. Mr Walter Macfarlane said that as from 2000 to 3000 domestics could be placed immediately, he did .not see

that the. Government would incur any liability in appointing an agent and getting the girls selected and sent out.

The .Minister promised to confer with t he .Minister for Labor with the idea, if possible, for evolving some, satisfactory solieino to overcome the difficulty.