YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 28, 1 August 1907, Page 2

YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

A LAUDABLE WORK. ADDRESS BY "MISS SPENCER. A public meeting under the auspices of the Young Women's Christian .Association was held in the Concert Chamber of tho Town Hull last evening when a further welcome was extended to Miss Spencer. His Excellency Lord Plunket presided, and there were as&ociated with him on the platform Hon. Gco. Fowlds, Hon. C. M. Luko, M.L.C., Mr. H. N. Holmess, and a number of the lady official*. The chuirman, in the course of his remarks, said that if any one from Government House presided at this meeting it ehould he Lady Plunket. who took a deep interest in the good work Which the association carried on. The meeting that night Mas called for two renfons. One to hear Miss Spencer speak ' and the other with the object of awakening a deeper interest amongst the people of Wellington in the Young Women's Chri*tian Association. Only ten months ago Lady Plunket had the pleasure of opening a branch of the association in Wj>lington, and he wms informed that the membership was now 263, and that over £350 had been subscribed towards its funds. The orßciuls of the branch iult that they could not carry on the work effectively unless they had a boardinghouse, where girls coming from r*!ier parts of the colony could find accommodation amongst Christian society. The branch was still of moderate and limited ideas and it only .asked for accommodation for twenty girls. To fur- j nisb such a place as this £300 would be required and he did not think that any gieat difficulty should be found in ran ing this amount in Wellington. . Wht?.i one began tp ask for money people thought that the Governor would not give anything, but he proini&fed to begin the list with a small subscription. (Applause). Wollingtor> was a very difficult place indeed for girls to find accommodation, and any one who- knew of tho difficulties, discomfits and dangers that girls nad to face Would appreciate tho object that the branch Jiad in view, (Applause.) The Hon. G. Fowlds, Minister for Education, said he had been connected | with tho Young Men's Christian .Society for thirty years, and not only had ex- ! psriencod the benefits of the institution, j j but had Even iho benofits of it during I his travels round the world. The advantages of such a work to the men would be equally is great to the woi men. In New Zealand we had admitted women to an equality as far as' fran- ( chiho wai> concerned, it was all the more j important that we should strive to put within their reach every possible means of mental, moral, and spiritual comfort. | Ho rejoiced, ho said, in overy movement such as this, which tended to extend a beneficial influence not Only in New Zealand, but in every part of the world, tae speaker, like his Excellency, promised to give a donation to the funds of the branch. Alis3 Spencer thanked tboso present fo* the he.irtinsEs c»f the welcome given to her, and said she felt grat.ficd at the very kind words which had bscn spoken that evening on behalf of their work. Sho j was sure from what had happened that ovening that there wora a great many of those present interested in the welfaro of young women. ,l'hose wijo had | made a study of tho conditions bf women j must bo improssed with tho changes that had taken place not only in New^ Zealand, but all over tho' world ; in th-s last two generations tho Changes had bsen startling. Sho Teferred to the work which young women took up in America,and said tho American woman to-day was beinj forced to earn her own living whether she willed or not. A great deal had been said about s vonien 'crowding th-v i men out, but? tho speaker iras sure that many of them would prefer not to earn their own living. Referring to Japan, 3hs said when first she went .there tho wornsn worked* in shops, at domestic service, and nursing. During a recent visit sho found tbiEnx working in the j?cst offices, railway offices, and was told, that they were in tho banks and business offices; sho know that women were employed in the Government arsenals. Last autumn sho saw'jn Belgium women working in mines side by sido with the men. Closely associated with tho industrial morernent was the emigration movement. From time immemorial the human race had been shifting from country to country. In former du,ys the women went as members of families ; now they emigrated alone. This meant a broader outlook for them, but it rrieant increased dangsis for them; it meant that they would bo exposed to temptations that they were never exposed to before. Sho spoke of the educational movement amongst women, and gate some interesting illustrations of its progress not only in Europe and America, but in China and Japan. The Japanese student girl, she alleged, was without religion) and education, she said, without religion, was nob going to be an unmixed blessing. Reverting to the work in Wellington, the speaker said ehe had seen the strangers' room, and was glad they had mftdo a beginning. But fhey also requited a gymnasium, accommodation rooms, and other agencies of the work. The Ybung Women's Christian Association would, she said, be a source of strength to the churches hero and a source of strength tt> the community as a whole, and sho commended it to public support. (Applause.) On the motion of the Hon. C. M. Luke,, seconded by Mr. H. N. Holmes, of tho [ V.M.C.A., Miss Spencer was thanked for her interesting address. A vote of thanks to his Excellency terminated the proceedings. During the evening a recitation was given by Miss Seagar, and a selection of music was played by the Central Mission Band. A "liberal- collection was taken up in aid of the funds j of tha branch.