UNEMPLOYED WOMEN

Evening Star, Issue 22596, 13 March 1937, Page 3

UNEMPLOYED WOMEN

NEED FOR A HOSTEL That there was need for a hostel for unemployed women in the city was the view expressed this morning by Mrs W. Herbert, a member of the Unemployment Committee. It was a very difficult matter, said Mrs Herbert, for women out of work to obtain a room at a price which they could afford, it being essential that there should be a fireplace to enable them to keep warm or. do small cooking for themselves. A few nights ago a poor woman, who had been unable to obtain any warmth where she was staying, was found in a state of collapse in the street, to which she had come in an attempt to walk about to get warm. She was found by a social worker and taken to the Police Station. The possibility of such a state of affairs would be obviated by the provision of a hostel. The women unemployed were getting only the bare necessities of _ life from the committee, said our informant. Good work was being done by the committee, which provided for rooms and hot meals during the week days, but from Saturday till Monday they had to do without a hot meal unless special provision was made by the Y.W.C.A. The maximum amount allowed to an unemployed woman by the Government was 14s a week, and that was not sufficient. One pound a week was the price usually asked for rooms with fireplaces. 'There was a good deal of work offering for women, said. Mrs Herbert, and the committee was training those who were in their care as fast as they could. There were, however, a good many who, though not ill enough to be placed in hospitals, were not fit for work. A hostel provided by the Government would be of particular service for these women, who would then be properly provided with bodily comforts and nourishing food and be improved in health. Mrs Herbert also considered that still better work oouTd he done for the unemployed women if the committee were strengthened by the Government*