Y.M.O.A.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 187, 6 February 1914, Page 5

Y.M.O.A.

HURAIi LIFE AND CITY aNj* l * ATTRACTIONS '', • PROPOSED COUNTRY ORGANIB- - ATION. ' ,: By Tcfcgrnpb.—Press Association. \'- - Auckland, Last Night. v - * Some interesting figures were quoted,.'." i at the Y.M.C.A. convention thia morn-' • ' i ing, which would sown to show that, j notwithstanding all the attempts to set- * tic people on the land, the drift cf pop. '*" $ illation is still towards the cities. Tdr; *' Hall, of Christthurch, earlier in the con- ■-***■ vention, Introduced the subject of the .", advisability of extending Y.M.C.A. work in the country districts, urging that"' "'" the radius should be within 80 or 40 miles of thi £&?>*■ The matter w»» ' referred to a sectional conference "?'•' k the convention which Bat this morning. ■ A A report was submitted for the informatinn of members. In the census ended - ■ 1001 the rural population was 54' per . ■ cent, and the city 45 per cent., where- m as in the census for the period ending ■ 1911 the percentage was reversed, the, fl rural being 40 as against the cities' SO ■ per cent. It was pointed out that the '-■ attractions of the towns drew the young I men away from country life. To coun- fl teract this, it was suggested that the ■ work of the Y.M.C.A. should be extended ' ■ to country districts. Mr. Peacocks said they all wanted edu-_J| eating to touch this great problem of" 7 rural work. He urged members of the \ convention to get literature upon the; question so as to better understand tbe position. A city expert in Y.M.CL4. ' work migt prove useless in rural districts. The Y.M.C.A. was not bricks -" , and mortar, and when it undertook rural work, it required expert knowledge -to "■•' go to the country, discover the latent , talent existing these and organise it to i work. -1 v The convention adopted resolutions* <•-'£ affirming that the drift -from country- ; ■ ; J to town was due to the greater social s attractions and the comparative value 1 of opportunities of obtaining employ- -ji ment; also that it is desirable that the work of the Y.M.C.A. be extended to ,i rural districts. It was also decided to J recommend the national committee appoint an expert to visit country dig- ■ tricts and report. . ,■