CITY REST ROOM.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 55, 5 March 1921, Page 20

CITY REST ROOM.

All during the strenuous years o-f the ftje Women's Xational Reserve of 1-npton made preat efforts to help soldiers win the war. ?Co.x peace has been declared they have turned their attention in an equally practical manner to help the mother? of the Empire brine; up healthy future citizens. One of their very successful movements is a rest room for mothers in Courtney Place. ■which was opened a year ago last September. A representative of the "Auckland Star"' who ninde a personal inspection was impressed with the jrood work being done there in a quiet manner. Tiio room is situated in the centre of a Im.-.v Wain junction yet Is quiet and central, i=o that mothers alighting liave only to cross the street and climb the stair to: rea<eh a haven of re«t where they caiii attend to their babies in peace. Here; they can heat the children's food and: "ire ihe toddlors a hot drink or some-1 thing to eat. If they arc going to visitrelatives in the hospital, as is often the '•a*c, or goLrrg , shopping, the babies are j taken care of by the motherly matron in charge. There is a. cradle and lounge \ for rest. iA book has been kept in which I the jrratefnl mothers have written their i appreciation of the <Re.=t Room, ami] stated what it had done for them.) Mothers from outlying suburbs formed the most numerous class. They left t'neir! babies there while making purchases in! town or attending sales, and thus the; town is spared the sight of a wearied mother with poor cross children struggling in the heated bargain Some of these mothers come in from the country with, two children and a baby i in arm?, and leave them in safe custody w-hile they take another one to the hoepital or attend to other business. Manj-j nursing mothers also take advantage oil the room fo-r a rest. A telephone is pro-j Tided, which saves a lot of wasted steps, an a big city. The day before the re- ; porter called a man came in who had eight children and a buoy of ten months.' His wife was ordered into a hospital for a serious operation, nnd he explained j that if 'he could get the baiby into the'; residential nursery he would be airte to : carry on with a little daughter of eleven! at the head of affairs. The mothers are J charged on a sliding scale from 1/6 down. The rooms open at ten and close at half-past four. Hard working and thrifty women who can make an addition to the small income earned D 3' tbeir invalid soldier ijusbands willingly pay to I have their baby looked after while they] 'wait in restaurants for a couple of hours,' and thus itarve paid off debts and bought | much, needed clothes which their pension 1 did not allow. " I