[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—As the -following letter
seems to me of general interest I have obtained permission from the writer to forward it to you for publication on the understanding that her name and the address of the school are not published.—I am, " Your letters in the Spectator on ' Educated Girls as Domestic Servants' have greatly interested me, and I think you may perhaps like to hear of an experiment we have been making hero. On my teaching staff I have a domestic science mistress trained at Batter. sea -and here- since September, 1919. The ordinary cook, though well paid, not proving very satisfactory, she asked me to let her undertake the management of the kitchen, when next we made a change, and from 1921 to the end of last year she combined this with her teaching. In May, 1923,-we did away with the -ordinary kitchen maids, and engaged- two educated girls who knew nothing of cooking -to work under my domestic science mistress in the kitchen. .1 ,promised them £25 the first year and £30 the second on the understanding that they wore to stay two years if satis- factory ; if not, -they -would -be dismissed. We did dismiss one at Christmas, 1923, as we found she would never become a good cook, and I en-gaged anothergirl of nineteen. These two are now managing the kitchen alone and cooking for about 90-100 persons beautifully. They have a man for scullery work who scrubs the kitchen every day, :but they have learnt even to do that, and -did it for some
time. The elder one is due to leave in May, but is staying until Christmas
at.any rate at £45 wyear. I do not know what will happen after Christmas, but at any rate there will be two extremely competent young women ready ..for pests of tesponsibility, and I -shall have come off extremely well. They have always come into the .dining-room to meals whenever they chose, but often they have been much too busy. They sham a bedroom and have-a gas-fire in it, but I have not been able to give them -a .sittingtroom. They have been absolutely splendid
in. the way they have put up with discomforts, which ..1 could not prevent.
Wow I have some of my -own pupils wanting to become ' domestics,' some who will have had a training while pupils here in that department, and ono or two who have got to matriculation standard and want to begin straight away here at school. I am starting a new house in May, and if I can manage it the housemaids will be educated girls. It is no doubt easier to arrange these things- in a school than elsewhere, but I cannot ter you the interest these two girls take in their work and how well they do it."
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