Of the five thousand sets of blanks thus sent out, 1025 were returned
filled out by employers, twenty being received after the tabulation
was completed. These gave the facts asked for with reference to 2545
employees. The returns received from employers thus bore about the same
proportion to the blanks distributed as do the returns received in
ordinary statistical investigation carried on without the aid of special
agents or legal authority. The reasons why a larger number were not
returned are the same as are found in all such inquiries, with a few
peculiar to the nature of the case. The occupation investigated is one
that does not bring either employer or employee into immediate contact
with others in the same occupation, and it is therefore believed that the
relations between employer and employee are purely personal, and thus not
a proper subject for statistical inquiry. Another reason assigned was the
fear that the agitation of the subject would cause employees to become
dissatisfied, while a third reason was the large number of questions
included in the blanks, and the fact that no immediate and possibly no
remote benefit would accrue to those filling them out. Another reason
frequently assigned was that all of the questions could not be answered,
and that, therefore, replies to others could not be of service. Several
of the questions, however, were framed with the understanding that in
many cases they could not be definitely answered; as the question, “How
many servants have you employed since you have been housekeeping?” The
fact that often no reply could be given, was as significant of the
condition of the service as a detailed statement could have been.
No success had been anticipated in securing replies from employees; but
as any study of domestic service would be incomplete without looking
at it from this point of view, the attempt was made. As a result, 719
blanks were returned filled out. In some instances employees, hearing of
the inquiry, wrote for schedules and returned them answered. In a few
cases correspondence was carried on with women who had formerly been
in domestic service. The influences that operated to prevent employers
from answering the inquiries made had even greater force in the case of
employees. In addition, there was present a hesitation to commit anything
to writing, or to sign a name to a document the import of which was not
clearly understood by them.
The limited amount of information that could be given explains the small
number of returns received to the third schedule,—about two hundred.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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