THE CHRISTCHURCH HOSTEL.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14525, 29 November 1912, Page 2

THE CHRISTCHURCH HOSTEL.

TO Tin? ZDITOB OF "THE PRESS." Sir, —Shortly after I camo to New Zealand, now almost two years ago, 1 heard with satisfaction of ycur project of starting a hostel in Christchurch for tho better and more adequate training of girls in household ir.anagement and tho domestic arts—ccoking. Inundrywork, needlework, and the like. I was told thr,t a number of the ladies of Christchurch had seen tho urgent need for such an undertaking, and wero working towards tills end. All this v.-a.3 matter for congratulation, and tho lines upon which it has been planned, its connection with tho Technical College, and tho fact that you havo so able a Director as Mr John Hpwell, and are to havo so wi&e a Head at tho Hostel us 2*l rs Gard uer, makes it not only a matter for congratulation, but will undoubtedly en-sui-o its success.

' it was, therefore, with great regret • that i learned only a tuv weeks ago i thiiD tho progress of tho buiiumg i= i being hampered by lack of iuncls, anU I I urn toid that unless subiciiptions . con:o iv very promptly, Uio Hostel ! cannot bo opened at tho beginning of \ next Session, as was originally p.auued. I 1 havo littlo doubt that, in tho long • run, the generosity of private indiviui uals and Local Bodies wjli amply Mipi ply the deficiency ; aad, for every pound j subscribed tho Government hab undertaken to subsidise to an equal extent, but any postponement of tho useful work which is to bo carried on in the Hostel would bo most regrettable. During my stay in Christchurch during the past few days I havo availed invselt of tho opportunities which havo been so courteously set at my disposal for seeing over the partly-built Hostel, and watching many of the classes at tho Technical College. Consequently I am not only assured of tho sound and wise lines upon which both institutions aro being worked, but I hear on all sides from the parents of pupils— who aro tho best judges—and others who havo come in contact with the work for a. considerable period of time, not only of the success of what is being done, but that it is also meeting a very real need very efficiently. It is obvious to anyone who thinks, that no nation can achieve or maintain real efficiency unless tho separate homes which are its units aro themselves efficient. For tho capacity of the nation depends upon tho capacity of tho individual citizens, and if the father of a family is to bo capable of working efficiently' and earning money, tho mother must know how to spend tho money wisely in order to develop tho best capacities of each separate member of tho fanrly. She must know how to feed and clothe the children and her husband "wisely and well, and how to keep herself in good health so that sho may bring up her children and caro for her Rome wisely and efficiently. It is needless to dwell on tho importance of tho work of the mother and tho home. Everybody who thinks, knows it; everybody who cares about the things best worth oaring for realises it. But tho difficulty which has to bo met by those who care, consists in tho fact that, in order to mako tho homes efficient, tho futjre mothers havo to be educated in mattors relating to tho home, to learn household duties and to gain practice in household work, and that these duties and this work seem unattractive to tho average girl. Tho reason for this is not far to seek—the work is continuous, often fatiguing, very exacting, ana requires much patience, much endurance, and very rerl selfsacrifice. J3ut this difficulty can be mot in tho following ways:— First, do not blink tho truth—face it. No good iias over beon achieved by trying to make young people believe an untruth. They know and recognise tho truth quito well, and you will not tako them in. But, happily, all good women are capablo of much self-sacri-fico and great love for others, and if girls aro made to see the importance of tho homo they will readily answer to tho noble ideal laid before them. Also, much can bo dono by making tho work really interesting. Nobody likes to do what they cannot do well and quickly. If girls aro shown how to do household things well and efficiently they like doing them and are prepared to spend timo on them. Give opportunity for proper rest, for plenty of play and fresh air, when girls are at tho growing age—they need it and should havo it—and let them have plenty of fun and laughter to prepare them to meet by-and-byo the difficulties of life, which will, m most cases assuredly come. But don f t call work by any other namo. Teach them to see the nobility of work. Now it is this work that your Hostel is going to do, which it is trying to achieve. As you probably know, any girl who has passed the Sixth Standard with proficiency by tho fhne sho is 15 years old is fortunate enough in Now Zealand to havo two years freo education given to her, either at a Secondary School or at a Technical College. If you can only persuade your girls to tako tho Domestic Course at the Technical Collego they wili havo tho chance of spending at least two months in each year in what will be a very pretty healthy, and almost ideal littlo Hostel, where they will sco for themselves tho attractiveness of domestio work nicely dono.

Your boys, too, will bo a bio to nso tho nico largo grounds for playingfields and gardening. Go and see what is being done when you can, and even beforo that send your subscription as quickly as may be to the 1/irector of the Technical Colkge, or to one of tho Ladies' Advisory Committee In the words of nn ablor ploa than my own, I hopo that all who h.ivo tJift wherewithal will "givo plentoously, ,, and that thoso who "haro little' 7 will "gladly givo of that little."—Yours, etc, W. L. BOYS-SMITH.