LADIES’ CORRESPONDENCE COLUMN.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 48, 28 November 1891, Page 639

LADIES’ CORRESPONDENCE COLUMN.

A CO-OPERATIVE LADIES' HOME. Dear Lady Editor, —I should like your opinion, and that of others, on the possibility and desirabilty of establishing in Auckland some sort of co-operative home for ladies, in which from four to six gentlewomen would seek, and perhaps find comfort, companionship with sociability, and sympathy on equal mutual terms without the objections of the boarding house system so apparent in these colonies. My rough idea of the plan is somewhat on the following lines : —First, a roomy, pretty suburban residence, with grounds kept up by a quiet man, whose wife would do the heavy work, under the direction of each lady in turn for a fixed period, either monthly or

quarterly as arranged. For that time the I I lady resident should be in sole charge, and preside over the home. Each lady should furnish her own two private rooms herself, the sitting-rooms and remainder as arianged, and reception of visitors and guests as arranged. A further develop merit of the scheme might be a temporary home for a lady invalid iequiring rest and medical treatment in Auckland, but only by personal recommendation of a medical man, and the approval of the other ladies ; and further, a temporary resiI dence for any quiet young lady of suitable means and position, who would keep early hours, and whose society would prove J agreeable to the inmates. That this idea might work satisfactorily, I premise that the ladies be i essentially gentlewomen of some social standing, and alone but for this home, || and that all be Protestants, if not necessarily Anglicans. The money view > now comes in, and is by no means unim I portant. My suggestion would be that I the sum of £lOO per annum be paid by \ each resident in quarterly sums into the I hands of two business gentlemen in town, ji who will acceptsome remuneration for the i| • trouble, such money to be expended at a fixed rate by each housekeeper in turn, 7/ and accounts kept. I base my calcula tions thus, that £lOO per quarter is suflicient to keep four ladies in quiet and easy comfort combined, or £l5O for six ladies more easily, in a place where house rent and living are as moderate as in Auckland. in any case, any surplus would be returned in equal propol tions. Also, should two or three approved boarders be admitted during the yeai, there would be probably a profitable balance on the credit side equally to be divided between the co-operators. An inducement to some kindly disposed would be the chance of nursing an invalid inmate, or of helping a blind or crippled one. That theie are objections, and some serious ones, 1 am quite prepared to hear, but when all is said and done I believe I such a home could be worked with com fort and profit to the co-operators, with one provision, and that is that the persons interested be not only gentlewomen by birth, but gentle, pious, and womanly women, who wish to help, not hinder, each other in the path of life, and would be prepaied to act on the motto * to bear and forbear.’—Ella F. [Letters on this subject are invited.— I L\i>y Ed.]