HOSTEL FOR GIRLS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 May 1920, Page 5

HOSTEL FOR GIRLS.

NEW PLYMOUTH SCHEME. A LONG FELT WANT. A meeting of those interested in the establishment of a hostel for girls in New Plymouth, was held at the Soldiers' Club last night. The Mayor (Mr. Jas. Clarke) occupied the chair, and there were about 20 ladies and gentlemen present. Apologies were also received from several other citizens interested in the project, who intimated their willingness to assist in any direction possible. Mrs. Clarke, who summoned the meeting, said she had received many offers of assistance from ladies and gentlemen who were interested in the movement. She referred to the letter written to the Mayor by Miss Watkin, of the Imperial Mission, and stated she had wrjtten to" the Y.W.C.A., who lin,d offered to give any help they could, and !f a hostel was to be established they would be prepared to send their organising secretary here to .'Bet matters in train.

Mrs. Clarke also said the Girls' Friendly Society had very kindly given over their effort to her'with the idea of broadening it out and making it quite undenominational. The general feeling was that there was an urgent need for a hostel in New Plymouth. Apart altogether from the demand on account of overseas girlf-, the local girls in business often found it very difficult getting satisfactory homes and accommodation.

A CITIZENS'. MOVEMENT. The movement was one 1 that every citizen should take part in. At present the idea, she thought, was to have a hostel under the control of a local committee of citizens, with an advisory board to assist principally in the matters of finance. Mrs- Clarke then, read a lengthy letter from Hawera showing how they had established and were running the hostel there. The building had been purchased on the debenture system and provided accommodation for IT girls, and the .establishment was run on the money received from the girls for hoard." It was suggested that to make the hostel a financial success there should be accommodation for about 25 girls. What should be done was to start off with strict rules from the very commencement, At Hawera t.he Women's National Reserve had run a shop every week and from the proceeds they had furnished the home. . Mrs. Clarke remarked in conclusion that the .€2OO raised by Mrs. Baily was in hand towards the effort. Mr. Clarke remarked that from the information received it was plain that the Y.W.C.A. organisation insisted from the start that those who had anything to do with a hostel established by tiiem must be Protestants, and only Protestants could he admitted to the hostels. That, so far as he was concerned. was an objection to their organisation which he could not get over. Mrs- Burgess said she had been at the conference of the Victoria League recently, where the British Immigration delegate attended, and gave their opinions on the subject of hostels, after having made inquiries all through the Dominion, and their opinion was that the Y.W.C.A- was the only organisation at the present time that had the machinery ready and the financial resources for the establishment of girls' hostels. It was felt, however, that they ought, to broaden out somewhat. They reported there were at the present time yufiO "iris waiting to get passages to the Dominion. A £IO,OOO SCHEME. Mr. List stressed the fact that the need of a hostel affected the whole district just as much as the town, and if approached iu the right way ho thought a £IO,OOO scheme could be financed and provision made for 50 girls- He thought anything short of that would fail to meet the needs of the district. He hoped that no make-shift scheme would be adopted. Such a place would be a tremendous advantage to the town. He thought, the meeting would be wise to take advantage of the organisation and experience of the Y.W.C.A. Their scheme had been "tried out," and they also bad financial resources which were a consideration in the matter. He incidentally mentioned there was just as much need for a Y.M.C.A- in the town and a hoys' hostel. He moved that a committee be set up to consider ways and means for the establishment of n hostel for girls in New Plymouth I and report to a subsequent meeting. This was seconded by Mr. Baily, and after some further discussion, was carried.

The following committee was then Pet np. Mesdames Clarke (Mayoress) Burgess, List. Neal, Eberlct, C. IT. Weston, Baily, IT. Fookes, W. Ambury,,o. Blumlell, Alexander, and R. \V. D. Robertson. The following gentlemen were elected as an advisory committee to confer with the ladies: Messrs. ,T. Clarke (Mayor), C. H. Burgess, T. C. List, H. Rail'v, W. 11. Skinner. R. W. D. Robprtson, P. J. White and C. H. Wes*Qtt