Kirkland, Leverett May Lose Maids This Spring

One and possibly two Houses may lose maid service at mid-years as the result of a special personnel evaluation meeting tomorrow, the CRIMSON learned last night.

Indications were that Leverett and perhaps Kirkland would be the next two Houses to switch to porter service because of increasing drops in the number of available losids.

The meeting has been called to review the present number of maids and the whole problem of transferring them from the Houses to other University jobs, Nichoial F. Wessel, Associate Director of Personal, said yesterday.

There is definitely "a possibility" one and maybe two Houses will not have maid service at mid-years, he stated. "We've got to see how many maids we've got, and see how the program is going."

Wessel further indicated that officials of the Department of Buildings and Grounds had recently conferred "with several Deans about which House to knock off." Leverett and Kirkland were apparently chosen because of their comparatively small sizes.

Bench Squad"

"If we are going to have to do something at mid-years, we have to decide pretty quick," he added. "Under our present 'no hiring' policy the Department of Buildings and Grounds needs a fairly heavy 'bench squad,' so that it will be able to employ maids wherever there is a shortage," Wessel continued.

"Whenever the 'pench' gets down near the vanishing point, we shall have to knock off another House. That's what will be settled today."

Dean Watson yesterday confirmed reports that maids are leaving jobs at an accelerated rate. "The maids are dropping off faster than we expected," he said.

Cecil A. Roberts, director of Buildings and Grounds, refused to discuss the matter of maids leaving another House. "We shall probably have some information after the meeting on Friday,' 'he said.

Wessel said that according to original estimates the Department of Buildings and Grounds had not thought it would be necessary to stop maid service in any more Houses this year. Originally, it was felt it would take between two and two and a half years to complete mechanization of the Houses he added.