GIRL OF TO-DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 114, 17 May 1933, Page 15

GIRL OF TO-DAY.

FACING UP TO THE CRISIS. DIMINISHING HUMAN LABOUR. "The industrial problem was the problem of yesterday, the economic problem i≤ the problem of to-day, and the leisure problem is the problem of to-morrow for all who believe in tho progress of the race Godward and who hold the Christian mandate for a really abundant life for all people/' said Mies Jean "Stevenson, national seeretary for the Y.W.C.A., in an address at St. John's Pre-sbyterhvn Church, Wellington, Btatea .the "Dominion." Miss Stevrenson epoke on the topic, "The Churda, the Crisis and the Girl of To-day."

"To-day wo face the problem of diminishing employment, with the trend of progress in the direction of eliminating human labour," said Miss Stevenson. "A job means other things besides its very important aspect of economic independence. It meaue discipline, com-, panionship, the interests that giv,e zest to life, and tho incentive to an enlarging mental horizon. We depend upon the discipline of tho job to counteract slackness and to prevent deterioration of character. Now we usust find other substitutes for this—peraonal motives, absorbing interests, spiritual and mental stimuli. In this is a ehallenge for a great world-wide Christiaaa movement like the Y.W.C.A.

"Wo have thought of leisure as being: a very narrow margin in a life nearly filled by enforced work. Now we have to think of it as a large piece of life which may be filled by self-directed effort, and in this there, ie the promise of great progress for nation and for individual. The problems of to-day are a challenge to the Church to lead the thinking of the community, not by creating new organisations within itself, but by sending out inspired leaders who will revitalise and transform the life of the community. If greed and fear are the spiritual baeis of our economic woea, Christiana are those who are not motivated by self-interest and who have the perfect love that casts out fear—the love of God and neighbour." The community ehould be able to look to the youth of the Church for constructive and radical thinking. Casual benevolence was not a sufficient way to express the true Christian conscience. Every Christian should be seeking by hard thought to know how the mandate of Christ might be expressed in the terms of to-day. Christian organisations and community avenues should be used for Chrietian leadership rather than special Church organisations. Among the immediate principles required were a shorter working day. Leisure should be distributed over the population, and not given to some in the form of unemployment. Adequate wage standards were necessary. One section of the community could not be depressed without depressing all. Extension of education and unemployment insurance were other principles for application. Mies Stevenson concluded: "The conscience of William Blako was challenged by the industrial abuses of England the nineteenth century. Not lese to-day must the Christian conscience be challenged as we see the ereation of a pauper class and of physical and mental 'slum conditions' in our fair land."