Norwich bulletin., 1918-10-05

 glass of beer shall have been pushed over the polished oak, the decanter tilted for the last time under the brilliance of the barroom lights the white apron doffed for good and the shutters put up for the duration of the war, at least, says the New York Times as the result of an interview with Mrs. Jessie H. Childs of that city, who was formerly Miss Jessie Hopkins of Norwich Within a few months the saloons, under the neces- sities of war conditions will have been obliged to go out of business. The places they occupied will be va cant-thousands upon thousands or them. What is to be done with these places? To what use shall they be put If they are not used, 1t will be waste. Much hardship. will result. The business fabric will be strained. It should have time to readjust itself to the new conditions
 How is the problem to be met? By turning the places where the saloons were into community centres, says one who has taken an active part in the development of the community idea-Mrs. Jessie H. Childs, a member of the organization of the Communi- ty Clearing House at PIT West Twenty second Street, of which John Collier is the head. These places, she says, should be made into community meeting centres, virtually clubhouses. where the people of the neighborhoOd could assemble for community pur- poses.
 Mrs. Childs, who is Treasurer of the Women's Trade Union League and | also of the Eleventh Assembly Dis trict organization of the Womans Suffrage Party and who was at the ] forefront in this State in the long 1 fight for suffrage. believes that the in itiative in this work must be taken by the women. The call of war already l has taken more than 5000, 600 men out 1 of the industrial life of the country. Under the new draft it will take about l 2,000, 900 more, Their places must be taken by women. And the organiza- ton of social service is something in which women have shown themselves 1 to be without a peer
 The movement to. turn the saloons into community centres has not ex- i tended beyond the tentative etage. It | is yet to be developed. But that some difinite, concrete, will emerge from the | idea Mrs. Childs is confident. It is her | opinion that the initial impetus should come from the top" that the move ment in it's beginnings should be f1- nanced by persons able to give Tn q | large way and willing to for the public good
 l Large sums of money will be re- 1 quired. That is obvious. A great outlay will be necessary if the move ment is to be started in a big way, a comprehensive way, and that is Mrs. | Child's idea. Much time would be l lost the opportunity would slip away, if it were attempted piecemeal. After the centres were put on their feet they should be supported by voluntary con i tributions of the members of the com munity, and Mrs. Childs is confident that the people would rise to the duty
 ''Is it your idea to turn all the sa looms in New York City into commun- ity centres?" she was asked.
 That will have to be decided" " she replied. '1n some sections, undoubt- edly all the storerooms now given up to the saloon business could be utili- zed. That is true for instance. of the district in which I live, where the sa- looms are few, compared with many other parts of the city. On Broadway in this section, there are only three or four saloons in a stretch of more thar a mile. Certainly we could find use
 
 community centres. In sections of the city where saloons are numerous where, for instance, there are severa to the block, where perhaps the foua corners of street intersection are de- voted to the liquor business, it might not be possible to make use of all the places that will be vacated. That is something to be worked out as the movement progresses and becomes concrete.
 "But there is no doubt thai the centres should be numerous. Eacf small neighborhood should have its community centre-a place where the rich and poor, young and old, black and white, could meet, commingle confer. and realize to the fullest pos sible extent their obligations as citi- zens of the United States. It would be a step in the fulfllment of req democracy.
 Every one these community cen tres should be a clubhouse, open tt