MATERNITY HOME SPARING NO EXPENSE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 78, 2 April 1914, Page 3

MATERNITY HOME SPARING NO EXPENSE

IN HELPING THE FALLEN SALVATION ATTMY'S WORK. Tue new and up-to-date Maternity Home for fallen girls established by the Salvation Army in Kensington-street was formally opened by the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) in the presence of a large and representative gathering of Salvation Army officers and citizens yesterday afternoon. The Commissioner (Mr. W. J. Uichards) presided, and amongst those present were the Mayoress, Lady Stout, Dr. liatts-Mills, the Hon. C. M. Luke, M.L.C., and Dr. A. K. Newman, M.l. The proceedings were conducted in the open air, outside the front door of the Home. The Commissioner, in opening the proceedings, said the Salvation Army during the past twelve months had opened maternity homes for fallen girls at Auckland and Dunedin, and now it was opening a third in Wellington. The Auckland home had cost tliem £4200. The medical authorities in Auckland and Dunedin had pronounced the establishments at those places as the most up-to-da.te maternity homes in the Dominion, and he was interested to hear what the Wellington medical gentlemen would have to say regarding their latest venture here. Speaking for himself he considered 1 that the new home was eminently suitable for the purpose for which it was intended^ They had spared no expense in making the building all that could se desired. There was nothing shoddy about it j it was well-furnished and splendidly fitted up, the total outlay which they had entered into in connection with the undertaking being about £4000. Though there was not so much ground about the building as was provided at the Auckland and JJunedin institutions it possessed the compensating advantage that it was in the centre of the town. They had been I compelled to abandon the old home in Thompson-street, because it had been &iltlt out, bub nevertheless good work had been done there. During last year 50 girls had been admitted to the home, and 40 discharged. Their remedy for all cases of this land was the salvation of th.6 girls* souls, and he had no hesitation in saying that it was the Cross of God only that could cure people of their sins'. He was pleased to be able to say in tnis connection that of the 50 girls admitted last_ year no less than 40 confessed Christ* and were now doing well. Several of them were married, and ' the matron, Major Dennison, was in touch with them all by correspondence. "We never let a person go once we get our grappling irons on/ her," declared the Commissioner. After paying a high tribute to the efficiency of Major Dennison and her staff he said ihat some people might say tha.t such a home as they saw before them was a little too good for the class of person treated there. In reply to that he said he believed in doing the best they possibly could for them. The poor girls who came to them were grateful,- the Army officers did what they could to help them out of their difficulty, and a large number of them, he was pleased to say, never returned. They had 21 girls in the old home now, and had more applications for admission to the new home than they could fill. They had nob asked anyone for a single penny piece towards the cost of providing the hospital, and they were nob going to ask anybody, but they expected that someone was going to turn up and help them in a voluntary way. They hoped to get fully half the amount in tha.t way, believing as they did that Wellington was not going to be beaten in this respect by the people of Dunedin, who without asking contributed £2100 or fully half the cost towards the erecttion of the home there. THE MAYOR'S TRIBUTE. The_ Mayor, on behalf of the City Council and the citizens of Wellington, congratulated the Army upon its latest achievement. The Salvation Army, he said, was doing a splendid work in the city,_ and it was appreciated, particularly its social work, which lay very close to the hearts and minds of the people. The Army was doing no better work than in its maternity homes, which were in reality .homes of refuge. While they all deplored the necessity for such institutions, still, while humanity remained as it was they' must provide them. They must respect, appreciate, and honour an organisation like the Army, which reached out to save and sustain. In this particular branch of its work tho Army, while affording the girls every chance- of reclaiming themselves, was also providing for their offspring by seeing that when they were ushered into the world and during the first few weeks o( 'their existence they were given all the benefits that the twentieth century could provide. He tendered the Army the well wishes of the Wellington citizens for the future success of its work. It had been said that when General Booth died the Army would go to pieces, but it was stronger than ever to-day. The rea-son, he believed, was -that its work rested upon a solid foundation — the work of Providence. THE SOCIAL WORKER. Dr. Platts'Mills emphasised that the greatest helper of the medical practitioner was the social worker, without whom no great preventive work against disease and suffering could be accomplished. She therefore specially wplcomed the Salvation Army delegates to tho present National Congress, which, she stated, was the largest gathe'rmg of social workers ever held in New Zealand. Tho problems they had before them that day were those of the unmarried mother and social disease. The causes were mainly moral and ignorance, which led to impurity. She urged that so long as they had two standards of morality, one for men and another for women, they would have vice. One great remedy by which they could check these evils was education. They must set before the younger generation religious ideals and teach them to avoid all that was impure. Dr. Newman dwelt on the manner in which the public were now supporting the Army, pointing out that they did this because they recognised that the Army was doing a great and noble work and they were glad to help. The freatest creed ever taught was that of 900 years ago, which was that they should love one another and help one another. He instanced the progress that was being made in this direction, and ho assured the Army that it would receive the hearty and financial support of the public in stamping out misery. The home was then opened by the Mayor amid cheers, and was inspected by the guests present. The building, which is a bright two-story structure-, is pleasantly situated in nice secluded grounds, and is admirably fitted up, the lighting, ventilation, and other equipment being all that could be desired. During the afternoon fclie Dunedin Salvation Army Brass Band played a number of selections.