Assistants in Shops.—I do not think it is generally known how valid the claim of the girls employed by the large linendrapers is to the much-disputed title of "young lady." At all the houses where I have inquired, I find that a large proportion of the girls are daughters of professional men, the fathers of the remainder being for the most part farmers and clerks; they are all fairly well educated, possess good manners, and if their conduct is not above reproach they are immediately dismissed.
I give particulars of five representative houses. I think the rules of others of the same class will be found very similar. All the particulars have been furnished me by members of the firms, and in many cases I have also made inquiries of the young ladies who are employed. Their universal opinion is that92 they are much better off than they would be if they were governesses; in fact, many of them have been governesses, and have given it up from the difficulty of obtaining comfortable engagements. Their evenings are entirely at their own disposal, and they are allowed to go away from Saturday until Sunday night or Monday morning, if their employers know where they are going. At very nearly all the shops I mention the girls are allowed to sit down excepting when they are engaged in serving. The good feeling existing between employers and employed seems to be very general.
I heard no complaints from either side; the heads of the firms all seemed to think they could not do too much for the comfort of their employés, and they on their side seemed fully sensible of the kindness with which they are treated. Their sitting and bed rooms are all spacious and airy, and their food, which on two occasions I had opportunities of inspecting, plentiful and good.
All the firms employ large numbers of women who do not live in the house, but I shall not give any particulars respecting them, as they are of quite a different class to those I am writing for.
Messrs. Howell and James, Regent Street, employ twenty-five ladies in their establishment, who live in the house. When their contemplated alterations93 and improvements are made, each young lady will have a separate bed-room; they have very pleasant sitting-rooms, and a library and piano are provided for their use.
The hours of work are from 9 to 6, Saturdays until two, and they all have a fortnight or three weeks' holiday in the summer. The salaries vary from ￡20 to ￡200 a year. Apprentices are received for three years; they live in the house, and pay a premium of ￡40. Improvers are also taken. All applicants must have good references and manners, and be well educated.
Messrs. Lewis and Allenby, Regent Street, employ seventy ladies in the house, twenty-four in the show-rooms, and the rest in the workrooms. They take neither apprentices nor improvers, and all the young ladies who apply to them must previously have received a thorough training. Hours of work are from 8.30 until 6.30, Saturdays until 2. They have three weeks' holiday after the London season. Their house has lately been rebuilt, and the rooms are everything that can be desired; two young ladies usually share a bed-room. A piano, and house library, besides a subscription to Mudie's, are provided for the use of the young people.
The salaries range from ￡25 to ￡200 per annum. A doctor calls every day to see any one who may be94 ill, and anything he orders is immediately provided at the expense of the firm.
Messrs. Marshall and Snelgrove, Oxford Street and Vere Street, employ seventy ladies in their show-rooms. The hours of work are from 8.30 until 6.30 in the winter, or 7 in the summer; Saturdays until 2. Sixteen days' holidays are allowed after the season. No apprentices are received, and the salaries vary from ￡20 to ￡150 a year. About ninety or a hundred girls are also employed in their work-rooms, at salaries of from ￡15 to ￡100 a year.
Messrs. Venables, High Street, Whitechapel, a very old-established firm, employ twenty-five in the house, at salaries of from ￡20 to ￡200 per annum. The hours of work are from 9 till 7 in winter, until 7.30 or 8 in summer, Saturdays until 3 o'clock. A fortnight's holiday is given every year. Apprentices are taken for two or three years at a small premium, which is usually returned as a bonus for good conduct. There is a bagatelle and a billiard table, a piano, and a library of 2,000 volumes, for the use of the employés. Not more than four girls are ever expected to share the same room.
Messrs. Spencer, Turner, and Boldero, Lisson Grove, employ seventy ladies. The working hours are from 8.30 until 7, and they have a fortnight or three weeks' holiday in the year. The95 salaries are from ￡5 to ￡100 a year. Apprentices are received for two years without a premium, and their friends are only required to provide them with clothes. In one large room five young ladies sleep, but as a rule there are not more than three or four in a room.
Only the young ladies in the show-rooms are allowed to sit down; it would interfere too much with business if those behind the counters were provided with seats. I asked two of them if they found the continual standing affect their health; they said girls for the first month found it very trying, but after that they become used to it, and, excepting in very hot weather, did not mind it at all. Cases of serious illness are very rare in all the establishments I have visited. At the last two shops I have mentioned the class of customers is very different from the others; but, with that exception, I believe the young ladies employed are equally comfortable.
Teachers of Cookery.—At the National Training School for Cookery in the Exhibition Road, South Kensington, ladies are taught to be efficient teachers of cookery, and, as a rule, do not find it difficult to obtain engagements. The School Board employs a considerable number, and pays them at the rate of ￡60 a year.
Teachers of cookery can now pass through a full96 course of twenty weeks' training in cookery and practice in teaching at the National Training School for Cookery, South Kensington. The fee is ￡20. Teachers of plain cookery only can now pass through a course lasting ten weeks; the fee is ￡8 8s.
Students in training are expected to attend evening classes, held by staff teachers, once a week. A student in training for a teacher first passes as a pupil through the Scullery and Demonstration Classes. This takes (working every day except Saturday) one month, from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M., with an interval from 12 to 2 for rest and luncheon. At the end of the month her note-books are to be examined and corrected. She then spends one month learning in the Plain Cookery Practice Kitchen, and a fortnight in teaching there what she has already learnt. She next goes into the High Class Practice Kitchen, and spends one month in learning and a fortnight in teaching. The last month is devoted to practice in demonstrating, first a fortnight in private, and lastly a fortnight in public, for which the lady superintendent has drawn up careful and strict rules; they are hung up close to where the student stands, to give her demonstration.
During her course of training the student can, if she likes, dine with the other pupils for 1s., or, if that is beyond her means, she is allowed to purchase any97 little dish that has been cooked as a lesson, at a nominal charge.
The staff teachers receive ￡75 per annum and their dinner at the school while employed in London. When sent to reside out of London they receive a further sum of 20s. a week for board and lodging, and all their travelling expenses; one months' notice on either side to terminate the engagement. When the staff teachers are all employed a few extra teachers are taken on as improvers at ￡1 a week, as this fits them to fill good appointments in the provinces when they offer. These engagements are terminable by a week's notice on either side.
The work of a teacher on the staff varies somewhat according to the nature of her appointment—i.e., if employed in the school itself she will have to be in her kitchen by 9.30 A.M. to see that her kitchen-maid has everything in proper order for the pupils to begin work at 10 A.M. The lessons end at 4 P.M. The teacher would, in most cases, be able to leave the school at 5 P.M.
If a staff teacher is sent to the provinces, the hours of work in that case depend greatly upon the local committee who for the time being employ her, but the number of hours of work are limited to twenty-four in the week, to be distributed by arrangement with the local committee and the teacher. If98 nominated for training, the candidate must not be under eighteen nor exceed thirty-five years of age. She will be admitted either by payment of fees or by subscriber's nomination. She must be sufficiently educated to be able to perform the duties of an instructor after the special training.
The diplomas of teachers are of two classes. Students, according to the class of diploma they have obtained, will be recommended to the public desirous to employ teachers, preference being given to teachers in the highest class.
The conditions of admission are:—
(a) That the student agrees to obey all the rules of the school laid down by the Executive Committee.
(b) That for any infraction of the rules the student may be discharged at a day's notice, without having a claim of any kind upon the school.
(c) That if after training the student proves competent (of which the Committee are sole judges), and her services be required, she will be prepared to accept an engagement on the staff of the school, at a salary ranging from ￡1 to ￡2 weekly; but it is to be clearly understood that the Committee are not responsible for finding any paid employment for the student while in the school, or afterwards, the employment of teachers certified by the school resting wholly with the public.
99
Teachers, while on the staff, and employed in the school, are not free to take any engagement without leave from the Committee, given in writing. Teachers holding diplomas not on the staff are free to make any engagement for teaching they may think fit, and may refer to the lady superintendent, who will give additional information as to their qualifications when required to do so.
Any subscriber to the school of ￡1 1s. has a right to a vote, and twenty votes admit a candidate to a full course of training, so that to become a subscriber is an excellent opportunity to be charitable, and oblige, possibly, a friend at the same time.
I think if, in addition to teaching cookery, ladies were able also to lecture on the elements of physiology and the laws of health, they would more readily find engagements, and be able to command better salaries. Unfortunately, at present there is no place where they can be examined as to their capabilities, and receive certificates, which would be most desirable. They can, however, acquire the necessary information by reading and attending some of the excellent courses of lectures on the subject that are frequently held in London; they are generally advertised in the daily papers.
Music.—No lady should take up music as a profession unless she has sufficient talent to justify her100 in expecting to be a first-rate teacher and performer. The profession is overstocked to a most painful extent already with second-rate teachers, and, speaking roughly, I should say there are very nearly as many people anxious to teach music as there are people to be taught. In the one branch of class-singing, I believe there is a large demand for good lady teachers, as they are most difficult to obtain, and any really competent persons may be sure of obtaining engagements at good salaries. For any one with exceptional talent a thorough training is the great thing to be desired, and this can be obtained at the Royal College of Music, Kensington Gore, where a free musical education, in all its branches, is given for five years, to any one who can obtain a scholarship. Many of these are open to public competition, without any limit of age. The school does not provide board or lodging, though I believe some of the scholarships carry with them exhibitions for maintenance. The year is divided into three terms, and there are twelve weeks of vacation. Students, when competent, are allowed to give lessons or perform in public during their spare time. No engagements are guaranteed at the end of the course of study; but the authorities do all in their power to secure them. For further information respecting the scholarships, &c., application should be made to the registrar at the school.
101
Royal Academy of Music, Tenterden Street, Hanover Square.—At this Academy, also, pupils are thoroughly trained in music.
Students are admitted at the commencement of each term and half-term. Candidates for admission must attend for examination, bringing music they can perform, at eleven o'clock on the Saturday before each term or half-term, with a recommendation from a subscriber, a member, an associate, or an honorary member.
The fee for examination is ￡1 1s., which is returned on the admission of the candidate. Candidates residing at a distance from London may be primarily examined by any one of the local examiners, from whom they may obtain information and advice respecting the Academy. One or more local examiners (whose services are honorary) are appointed in every principal town of the kingdom.
The year is divided into three terms, and there are thirteen weeks of vacation.
The annual fee for the entire course of study is 30 guineas, or 10 guineas per term, with an entrance fee of 5 guineas.
The course of instruction includes two weekly lessons in a principal study, one in harmony, one in a second study, when deemed desirable, one in elocution for singers, and the advantages of the sight-singing102 class and violin quartet class, and the orchestral and choral practices.
All payments must be made in advance. On leaving the Academy students may undergo an examination. Should the examination prove satisfactory they will receive a certificate, and in special cases the additional distinction of being made an associate of the institution.
There are a great many free scholarships attached to this institution; inquiries about them should be directed to the secretary at the Academy.
The London Academy of Music, St. George's Hall, Langham Place, Regent Street, is designed for vocal and instrumental students, amateur and professional, desirous of receiving a complete musical e............