Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-13
Need Of More Attention for the
Care of Homeless Girls and
a Refuge for Them Heres %

In these columns Of the Evening
Star there appeared some weeks aeos.i
an article dealing with the Young
Women's Christian Association and
the work Il Was doing for the girls OF
the city, the wealthy as we'll as the
poor. Exception TO certain state-ss
ments made In this article was taken
by lady Of opulent means and higil
social position, one who had contrib@ff'
uted largely 10 the erection of the
Young Wemen's Christian Association
building. - -
The criticisms OF this lady were
aimed principally at the fact that the
Young Women's Christian Assocla-
ton, in its new and superb quarters.
mad provided no home for the pooFa.
girl of Newark She even declared
that, far from being a home, the
grand structure in Washington street
was simply q clubhouse for idle, rich
and self-indulgent women, who, when.
they could not go TO Manhattan for
amusement, found time in the smaller
city hang heavily upon their hands.
Now, this particular part OF the =
animadversions of the Newark lady
brings up the question: Why are not
the virtuous girls of Newark provided
with refuge which they can feel be-
longs to them exclusively?
That there are women who are wijiz
ing 10 provide such home is q fact
1t Is of common knowledge that one
resident of Newark, Miss NJ Louise
Watts, offered her own house for suti1l.
a purpose II the small sum Of 500
should be forthcoming for certain nee
essary expenses. When the offer Ras
made public all that was contributcd.-
was $3.50. ,@a .
Other women have devoted their
time in efforts to accomplish the de-.
sired result, only 10 meet with fail-
ure. The Young Women's Chrietia = =
Association has no dorTnitories, but
it does send any girl who applies to p
1t to properly inspected boarding
boarding houses, but il cannot find,
enough of these of a respectable
character. 1t also pays for the Lodge
ing of an applicant If IL is found that
she has not money 10 pay 1t herself
but even this does not fill the need.
Certain benevolent women were
asked about the other specific critf-
cisns of the lady in question, and
especially they were asked n they
had ever seen a poorly-clad girl IN
the quarters in Washington street
Their answer was a sad negative. It
was asked also if the reception rooms
of the building were ever filed With
company of factory girls.
why no., said one, what would
they be doing there? For the most
part they are unaccustomed to luxury
that would be suitable TO the Hotel
Astor in Manhat titan: what would be
their attitude in such spacious and
finely furnished apartments2
mo, such a place is most approprs-
ate for the classes of aesthetic dane
ers who frequent it. But when Ii was
proposed that the association OF the
young Christian women of this city
should have a building of their own
in this crowded place, in a refined
section, and when the people of the
city gave literally for its construc
ton. it was with the understand
ing that II should be home for all
classes of girls
! Exhaustive inquiries confirmed the
/ fact that such criticism was not con-
| fined TO one, or two women, or to one
OF two clerics. And, finally. il was
borne in upon the mind of the INQUIRER
that such condemnation was general
in the city.
The writer was most politely invited
by the principal secretary of the
Young Women's Christian Association
TO visit the building and dine with the
girls there assembled upon some par
ticular, established occasion. It vas
said that in this way he could judge
for himself of the character and social
plane of the young women thus gafll-
cred. This gracious invitation has
not yet been accepted, but when It is"
the view thus gained will be made
public impartially.