The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-03-04
MASS MEETING
FOR THE YIN. CA.
Portland Speakers Unite TO
Help the Local Workers
Facts and Figures Presented to
Show Why Salem Should
Erect a Building.

Secretary Fechter opened the Y. NJ.
@. A. building boom meeting at 0the
First M. E.Church. He said the local as.
sociation found itself moneyless about
the FIRST OF the year. At first the out
look was discouraging. But the directors
had pledged 81 200, the Ladies Auxiliary
81 900, and by subseriLtions added TO
this, over 5000 was now pledged
With few happy Introductory remarks
Secretary Fechter introduced Director
Amos Of the Portland Y. M. @. A. He
presented figures to show that 400 such
organizations were in existence in the
nation. II they only turned ten men a
year from the road to the penitentiary
totheroad togood industrious, righteous
lives, and il the services of these men
we're worth only $500 year and it cost
that amount to convict and keep these
men II they entered career of crime,
these Y. NJ. @. A. organizations repre-
sented an actual saving to the nation OF
sl4,OOO,00O annually.
Secretary Stone gave figures to show
that but fye per cent Of the men in our
cities were religious, while sixty per cent
OF the college students were under the
influence Of the college YIN G. A., and
professors OF religion. He showed how
the railroad companies had improved
the moral aud spiritual condition Of their
smpllyes by introducing these organiza.
tions.
The railway men OF Russia had secur.
ed sn open Bible as result OF the Y. NJ,
O. A. work being introduced by the gov
ernment. The Y. NJ. @. A., was now
reaching beyond rescue, beyond environ
ment, beyond mere place 10 spend
time to place 10 USE time, an educa.
tional influence, night classes, business
training and complete commercial
equipment.
At Pendleton 80 men had put up 800
each. and only 6 OF them were protested
Christians, and one was a Hebrew, and
he worked harder than any man ON the
committee. Out OF all American cities
of 10, 0,OOOR reputation, 81 bad Y. M. &.
A. bui dings, costing on an average
sl7 900 each.
Sec'y Stone said one thing to the audi.
ence that went down hard-that the
greatest problem Of the day was ho~ To
got young men under Christian ibtiu.
ences. At Portland out Of n thousand
members only 500 were Christians,
There we're Jews, Catholics and free
thinkers aud most were not Christians.
The next great problem Of society was
the providing Of Amusements for onr
young men. They were lovers Of plea
aures more than OF God. The Y. NJ. Q.
A. furnished an almost oonstaut success
sion OF amusements that drew the cr1wd,
The Y. NJ. Q. A. be came when properly
C )nducted, the.amusement center OF the
The third problem and greatest OF all
was the education problem. Our public
educational system was on a wrong bas-
IL. It Was still c'ndueted on the theory
OF creating = professional class, not
hand.workers, aud yet 92 per cent must
earn their living in that way Asa result
there was no fixed purpose. one-haif
the boys Of the Portland would change
their jobs for a difference of 90 cents
week. They we're drifting as a result OF
a detective organization. He was a be-
lever in tine public schools but they
turned the boys and girls out too young
and with no fixed purpose in life. They
went aboat trying to get jobs, met with
discouragemsnt, and not having devel-
oped their intellectual and spiritual ma.
ture to the point where they could stand