The first abuse I would have reformed is, that servants should be
restrained from throwing themselves out of place on every idle vagary.
This might be remedied were all contracts between master and servant made
before a justice of peace, or other proper officer, and a memorandum
thereof taken in writing. Nor should such servant leave his or her place
(for men and maids might come under the same regulation) till the time
agreed on be expired, unless such servant be misused or denied
necessaries, or show some other reasonable cause for their discharge. In
that case, the master or mistress should be reprimanded or fined. But if
servants misbehave themselves, or leave their places, not being regularly
discharged, they ought to be amerced or punished. But all those idle,
ridiculous customs, and laws of their own making, as a month's wages, or
a month's warning, and suchlike, should be entirely set aside and
abolished.
When a servant has served the limited time duly and faithfully, they
should be entitled to a certificate, as is practised at present in the
wool-combing trade; nor should any person hire a servant without a
certificate or other proper security. A servant without a certificate
should be deemed a vagrant; and a master or mistress ought to assign very
good reasons indeed when they object against giving a servant his or her
certificate.
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