WOMEN'S SOCIAL CLUB.

Evening Post, Volume LXXII, Issue 68, 18 September 1906, Page 2

WOMEN'S SOCIAL CLUB.

TO THB KDITOK. 6« r > — I have noticed with much pleasure the effort being made by some ladies to establish a, branch of the foung "Women's Christian AsEociation* in Wellington, For some time back I have seen the urgent need of some social club or association, where the very large number of young women employed in this city with professional, business, and domestic duties could rest, read, write and find recreation or instruction, Tvhen off duty during afternoons, evenings, or Sunday*. A large number of these young women have no homes of their own, having come to the city for employment, and live a lonely life jn lodgings, or in domestic service, with no relatives or friends in Wellington. When they are released from their work on Wednesday or Saturday afternoons, evenings, or Sundays, they have not a 6ingle plaoa in {ho whole oity where they can go in «nd rest, talk, or read ar.d write, or even shelter from the rain. There are certainly a couple, of Beats reserved for ladies in the reference room of the public library, but these are no use for the purpose; besides silence has to be 6triotly observed, which is depressing. So for young women off duty in Wellington, without homes or friends, there is practically nothing to do but to walk the streets afternoons or evenings, and even this they cannot do if it is raining. They can certainly go to the theatres of places of amusement in the evenings, if they can afford it, as it is the only place open to them. Yet people write and moralise about so hiany young women being £feen -parading the streets or going to theatres, etc—forgetting tihat the theatres or musio-halls are the kmly plaoes open to them, so that they have no choice. Considering the circumstances and the temptations that are always facing girls without homes or friend* in the city, I think it is wonderful that so few out of the many go astray. Some ladies, seeing the great need of a place for women to rest and read, started a Women's Social Club in a very small way « year ago, but as the only room was a corner of a public tea-room, it was most unsuitable, and I'think fell through. When one looks round the City of Wellington, and sees the number of men's clubs, including gentlemen's, civil service, commercial, working men, football, bicycling, Catholic, Seamen's Mission, and other social clubs, including the Young Men's Christian Assofia/tion, and others I do not know of, it does seem very hard that women, who are the weaker sex, and stand much more in need of a social club, institution, 01 association than men do, havo not got one place in the whole city devoted to their use, wher/6 they can even eit down to rest or shelter from the rain or storm. I believe that it is a fact that Wellington is the only one of the four principal cities' in' New Zenland which htis no women's social clubs or Young Women's Christian Association, yet with such a large and 'ever-increasing number of young -women employed here, the need is most urgent. In connection with a Young Women's Christian Association or olub rooms and registry office, there is a great need for a large boarding establishment or home for yptmg women employed in tho city, or for those ont of employment and seeking situations, where they could register themselves and meet employers. As women's, pay is so small oompared with men's, it would be impossible for them to find the money to buy land and put up a building of their own, so their only hope m that s6me wealthy citizen would present them with a site and suitable building, free of cost, when it might possibly be made self supporting. The many rich people wh,o have made large fortunes in Wellington, hnve done praQtioally nothing in providing institutions for the public good, with almost the single exception- of that good Christian woman, Mrs. Williams, who gave the site and built the Seamen's Mission Home and also the site for the Young Men's Christian Association. It should make tHe wealthy mm of Wellington blush to think that nil those good works had to be done by a comparatively poor widow. I do not forget thiit the general public gave libernllv to tUo fund for building the Young Men's Clnistian Association rooms. ■Compared with Wellington, Auckland has been fortunnte in possessing, many hborftl-miiidod wealthy oitizens, wuo have given and left Inrge fortunes to good works such as homes, libraries, art galleries, public parks, eke, etc. I fear that the young women's cause ha 6 been brought up at a bad time, or rather late in the day, following so soon after the appeal to the public for funds to build the Young Men's Christian Association Institute, as, after giving 60 liborally to the young men, it is hardly to be expected that they will do likewise for the young women so 6oon. The only hope is that some wealthy citizen may open his heart and follow Mrs. Williams's example in building the Seamen's Institute, and give a site and erect a building, and present it to the women of Wellington. Failing this, I hope that if the general public avo appealed to for subscriptions, they will not see the women left out in the streets and cold any longer. — 1 am, etc., ADAM. • Wellington, 15th September, 1906.