Sir F Johnston & Lady. Lord Bathurst. Major Topham.
From the following we get a curious glimpse of the Social economy, of the times—a phase of thinking which would scarcely do nowadays:—
"In a complicated machine, any of the inferior parts getting out of order, will soon obstruct the whole: and, conceiving such may be the case with public society, we are led to make a few observations on some improprieties which occur in the present day.
"The wages given to servants have increased during the last 10 years, more than for 30, or perhaps 40, years before: and the misfortune is, that dissipation, and want of morals, have also much increased, particularly among manufacturing labourers, who now have got, in many places, only to work three, or four, days in the week, and to be drunk the remaining time, leaving their wives, and children, neglected, and in rags.
"As to household servants, the accommodation offices for hiring of them, have had the worst effect. They make them indifferent about keeping their places; lure them on with false hopes, and often before a servant gets fixed, they, and the pawnbroker, put them under difficulties.
"Travelling expences, by the profusion in the perquisites given to waiters, post boys, &c., have become enormous, and their attention is less; but, if those who give in that way, were to consider the injury they do the public, and of how little use it is to those who receive it, they would certainly think such money so squandered away, would have been better bestowed, if applied to some public charity, or left for the poor of the parish.
"Increase of trade, and wealth, having produced an increase of luxury, and made the necessaries of life more expensive, it is proper that wages should be increased: but yet not beyond the bounds of proportion; for it will be found in those manufacturing occupations, in which labourers get the most money, they are the most disorderly, continually combining together to leave their work, unless their masters consent to increase their wages, and which only proves a temporary compromise, till they have an opportunity of making a further demand. On the contrary, where less wages are given, we shall find the people more happy, and contented, their wives more attended to, and their children brought up with more religion, and better morals."—(Times, Sept. 5, 1794.)
"To the CONDUCTOR of the TIMES.
"Sir,—Various are the receipts for cheap puddings, and many long, and useful, letters have appeared in your very excellent paper, towards alleviating (as much as is in the power of every Housekeeper) the scarcity, and dearness, of bread: by substituting rice, and potatoes, in the room of pies, or flour puddings: but there still exists an evil which I have not seen spoken against, and which certainly occasions a very great consumption of starch: I mean the general fashion which has prevailed for some years, and does still, from the highest, to the lowest, of wearing white dresses, which, upon a moderate computation, for every individual, must consume at least double the soap, and starch, than when coloured callicoes, silks, and stuffs, were in fashion: Added to this, that every maid servant (who, though she is perhaps not worth a second pair of shoes) will wear her muslin handkerchiefs. I think it is the duty of every good master, and mistress, to stop, as much as possible, the present ridiculous, and extravagant, mode of dress in their domestics. View, on a Sunday, a tradesman's family coming from church, and you would be puzzled to distinguish the porter from his master, or the maid from her mistress. Formerly a plaited cap, and a white handkerchief, served a young woman three, or four, Sundays. Now a mistress is required to give up, by agreement, the latter end of the week for her maids to prepare their caps, tuckers, gowns, &c., for Sunday, and, I am told, there are houses open on purpose, where those servants who do not choose their mistresses shall see them, carry their dresses in a bundle, and put them on, meet again in the evening, for the purpose of disrobing: and where, I doubt, many a poor, deluded, creature, has been disrobed of her virtue. They certainly call aloud for some restraint, both as to their dress, as well as insolent manner. Tell a servant, now, in the mildest manner, they have not done their work to please you, you are told to provide for yourself, and, should you offer to speak again, they are gone. Surely no set of people are more capable of rendering our families comfortable, or the reverse, than domestic servants, nor any set of people who feel the present dearness of provisions so little. I look upon their exorbitant increase of wages, as chiefly conducive to their impertinence: for, when they had five, or six, pounds a year, a month being out of place, was severely felt; but now their wages are doubled, they have, in a great measure, lost their dependence: And what is this increase of wages for? not in order to lay by a little, in case of sickness, but to squander in dress. No young woman, now, can bear a strong pair of leather shoes, but they must wear Spanish leather, and so on in every article of dress. No wonder, then, that there should be so many prostitutes, and so few good wives.
"By inserting these hints, as soon as you conveniently can, you will much oblige,