• .CHARTERED HELPS .[To the. Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
should like to commend • the article on " Chartered Helps-"• in your issue of January 21st, because it certainly shows a wider understanding of the subject than one can find in many quarters.
Following severe financial loss and being too old to commence again in business I have for some years now carried out the duties of butler, my wife acting as cook, and coming from the ex-officer public school class, used to a fairly large household staff, I have been able to weigh up both sides of the "domestic help" question from a practical viewpoint.
Besides a number of abuses mentioned by your contributor, evening and Sunday hours of labour will have to be very much lessened. Seventeen hours a day, seven days a week, less the few odd uncertain hours usually allotted will not be tolerated today. A half-day starting at 3 o'clock, a whole day at ix o'clock, with perhaps considerable work upon returning is simply not good enough.
I have come to many conclusions on this matter, one being that if men attempted to run their businesses as women do the homes they 'would be bankrupt in a month and staffiess long
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