1. The Problem as a Whole—Reasons for the change in the present situation as compared with the past: shop and factory labor, education, social advancement.
2. The Problem as Seen by the Mistress—The rise in the scale of wages. Increased demand for short hours. Constant desire of servants to change. Independence of spirit.
3. The Problem as seen by the Maid—Her comfort; the sleeping and sitting rooms. Her leisure; afternoons and evenings out. Her society; callers. Her wages. Growing tendency to specialization of work. Uniforms and caps.
4. Possible Solutions—The American girl, the foreigner, the negro, and the Japanese as servants. The working housekeeper. The visiting servant. The eight-hour day. Coöperative housekeeping. The servantless apartment.
Books to Consult—Salmon: Domestic Service. Terrill: Household Management. Addams: Democracy and Social Ethics. Herrick: The Expert Maid Servant.
For this meeting the chairman can arrange in advance for the brief presentation of personal experiences, each limited to three minutes.
Other interesting and valuable topics might be: The Relations between Employers and Employed; Employment Offices and Their Regulation; The Ethics of References; Advertising and Answering Advertisements for Servants; What Shall We do for Sick and Elderly Servants?
V—FINANCING THE HOME
1. The Income—The husband's share. The wife's share. The children's share. Special expenditures: the doctor and the dentist, church, benevolences, etc. Discussion of the proper division of the income.
2. Family Expenses—Renting or owning a home. The cost of living: food, fuel, service, etc. Dressing the family. Education: private or public schools.