Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/635

 Dres^makins: and Domestic Service In some of the towns there is a considerable demand for more dressmakers, and there is no doubt that a capable dressmaker can always earn a good living, especially if she be willing to set up in business for herself, though here she will be hampered by the problem of obtaining assistants, a great difficulty at some seasons. Visiting dress- makers are always in request, and they receive five shillings a day if competent. The class of dressmaker most in demand is the young girl between sixteen and twenty- one years of age, who is wanted by the large shops. She begins with a wage of five shil- lings a week, with a yearly advance, the amount of which is fixed by law, till she reaches a twenty-shilling wage, and there the wage may remain or increase according to her ability and the competition. It is the girl who will undertake domestic work, whether as servant or lady-help, that New Zealand wants and requires most urgently. During the past few years peti- tions from all over the Dominion have been presented to the Government by women 609 WOMAN'S WORK The woman who goes out to New Zealand as domestic worker must be prepared to find the work more varied, and probably, on the whole, a little harder than she is accustomed to in ICngland ; but at least one advantage is that many of the houses arc built on one floor, none have more than two floors, and there are no underground kitchens. The wages are high, a maid is allowed much more time to herself, and she has much more prospect than the English girl of a comfortable home of her own. The wages vary in different parts of th3 Dominion, and are rather higher in the north than in the south, but fifteen shillings may be taken as the average wage for a general servant — less in small houses, but as much as £1 a week in some cases ; from fourteen to eighteen shillings a week for housemaids, and from fifteen shillings to ;^i a week for a trained children's nurse, while a good first-class cook will get trom £1 to twenty-five shillings a week. These, it will be understood, are the best wages for trained servants, and the thoroughly efficient worker would easily obtain a situation at the highest rate A house in Christchurch, N.Z. This is a typical New Zealand home, of two fbors only and without a basement or underground kitchens. Domestic labour is thus pursued under favourable conditions Phoco, S'rw Zealand Oovt. Tourist Dtft. who are almost distracted with the worry of trying in vain to obtain efficient domestic help, praying for assistance. A short time ago petitions were presented to the Premier signed by the doctors of two of the chief cities, declaring that the scarcity of domestic help was having a very bad effect both on the mothers of families and on their children, and when interviewed on the subject some of the doctors told how difficult they found it to treat their patients, since a woman who had unaided to look after her children and her home was frequently unable to take the rest her doctor prescribed. Suggestions I^L have been made that the New Zealand I^P Ciovernment should offer free passages to hundreds of British girls on the condition that they will continue in domestic service, on arrival in the Dominion ; but the Govern- ment does not see its way to doing this, since it already assists the passage of domestic workers to a great extent. The cost of an assisted third-class ticket at present is only from Iz i6s. to £6 i6s. I How to Make the Journey It has been suggested that there is an opening in the country homes of New Zealand for educated girls who will go out as domestic workers. This would be especially the case if two friends stipulated that they should be employed in the same household. Women thinking of going out to New Zealand should apply for information to the High Commissioner, at the New Zealand offices in Victoria Street, London, and if they decide to go they will find it a great advantage to travel under the direction of the British Women's Emigration Society, which makes special arrangements for the well-being of the women who apply to it. The journey is a long one, and shipboard life is so much more tense and confined than life on shore, that it is a very great advantage for a young woman to be associated with a party instead of travelling alone. There is a certain charm in being independent, but association with a large party will save a girl from many perhaps rather unpleasant experiences.