THE Y.W.C.A.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17115, 9 April 1921, Page 9

THE Y.W.C.A.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRIS3." Sir, —At a meeting of the House Committee of tho Christchurch Young Women's Christian. Association held April oth, it was decided to present to the Press a statement of tho committee''s aim and polidy. The Association' buildings are the gift of generous people who concerned themselves to see that there should be a home for girls, boarding away from their own homes. ■ • The committee, as trusteo for' tho Hostel Jniiklings, endeavours to keep the building available for those girls whom right-minded people would consider the most entitled to its comfort and shelter. It is obvious that there.must be selection; with the best will in tho world, the committee, which has accommodation for some fifty girls, cannot make that accommodation stretch to embrace the needs of all the hundreds of girls boarding in this town. Tho committee is wall aware of the difficulty many girls find when they set out in search of suitable lodgings at a reasonable charge; and there is a real need in this town for a Hostel, where older girls in receipt of moderate wages,, could find the homo that at present it is almost incredibly hard to discover. Similarly there is need for a Hostel for the_ very young girla who are obliged to live away from their own homes, and who should be in a Hostel, where there is' more supervision than is necessary for older girls, arid a rather more careful regulation as to late hours. The Y.W.C.A. Hcstol in Christchurch accommodates fifty boarders from workI rooms, office's, shops, and schools, and there are in. tho house girls of every religious denomination. Tho ages range at the present time from fifteen upwards : twenty-three are- 20 years. or under, fifteen are between 20" and 25, twelve are over 25, and of theqe twelve oldest, only four are over 27. ' These figures prove that the Hostel is what it aims at being--a home for young women. The committee. is sorry that it is from time to time to ask girls tp leave, who have found in tho Association Hostel, a home and friends, and the committee has every evidence of the fact that girls grieve to gol But every girl understands the necessity, and a notification, hangs in each bedroom to the effect that tho Board 6f Directors reserrois to itself the right to ask- girls- to move elsewhere if it is necessary to find room for younger girls or those fresh to tho.city. In the case of residents now in the building, tho understanding of tho situation, and the good feeling lias been almost perfect, and the girls arc genuinely anxious to show unselfishnqss by bestirring themselves to find suitable lodgings at an early date. If any persons willing to {ftlmit a girl to a good honi;- near'the town will communicate with the general secretary, the committee will be glad. Something of the pressure of tho demand, for further accommodation for girls in this city, can % bo shown by the fact that we hare a list, always long, of those waiting for admission. On to that-list aro put only tho names of nioderately young girls, and it does'liofc ipclude tlie names of those who apply for immediate .accommodation. Within ten days, nine such girls were refused admission hi>re, owing to the lock of room,, and: on. Wednesday and 'fhursday o* this week, four mora wero refused who could not wait until we had room available. As can be seen, vlie jwoblom is'a distracting one, and although the Association endeavours to phicvi girls in suitable lodgings, the fact remains that some more hostel accommodation rs required in this city. Tho, directors of the Young Women's Christian Association have under their consideration a Kchema for establishing another large hostel, but while prices are so higli, and until the present financial stringency is tided over, nothing can bo attempted. Consequently until such a hostel can be produced, the committee is forced to exercise its discretion in. the selection of lesidents, and to ask from older girls consideration for the needs of the younger. It should be understood by tho public that no girl'is hurried in her. choice of lodging, a fact which is proved by the caso of girls who were told in Jinuary that they must go, and did not leave till late ill March; another who was asked in January to find other !udg-. ings, is still.in residence. In no fasc is the stay of a, girl who has once be.'ii admitted as a permanent boarder cut unreasonably . short. 'The period of residence of those girls on'.the point-of leaving now ranges 'from ten months to three years; most have had a stay of fifteen or eighteen months. If the correspondence tltat has been appearing in your columns rouses people of gopUwill to action, when once the financial position settles to normal again, and at is possible to ask people to be generous, conditions need not rcmairi much longer such that increasing ago and wageshould cut a girl off from thu hostel sue has learned to look upon n-s a home. In conclusion, the committed would like it generally known that the Young Women's Christian Associatbn welcomes enquiry. Any member of the Association or subscriber is at any 'tirno a welcome visitor. And any member of tho general public who wishes to make enquiries will receive at the Association's olfico whatever information he requires :—Yours, etc., E. LAW, ■ General Se6retary.