Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-08-14

ONI1Y WOHA run OLhAO
Anyone reading the letters published in the among Us
Girls column of the EVENING NEWS every day cannot help
but be impressed with desire among the girls oil Perth Am
boy for a Young Woman's Christian Association or a girls
community house Of some sort. Girls have written from as far
away as Metuchen expressing the wish for some sucn pace
here where they could come for an evenings enjoyment.
Perth Amboy is we'll provided with places for the young
men of the community. Foremost of course, stands the Young
Mems Christian Association with its handsomely equipped
building. There is the Young Mems Hebrew Association, the
Knights Of Columbus rooms and so on down to the various boy
scout troops. All of these mean much for the city. They are
accomplishing a great work for civic betterment and at the
same time furnishing amusement and entertainment for the
boys and young men.
For the girls of the community, however, there is abso
lutely nothing. When one realizes the number of industries
in this city that employ girls, many of the factories being run
almost exclusively by female help, the need of some form OF
civic work in their behalf is most apparent.
But while there is not a special building for the girls such
as the young men have, it is gratifying to know that the girls
are not entirely forgotten and that their interests are being
looked after by public spirited women who are doing their ut
most to carry on a girls work with such facilities as are avail
able.
During the past year this work among the girls has been
carried on in connection with the War Camp Community Serv-
ice. A girls club has been formed and many social events
have been held at the rooms of the Army and Navy Club in con-
nection with the entertainment of the soldiers.
But the War Camp Community Service is being aban
doned as a war organization and is gradually being transformed
to peace basis. Now that rehabilitation of the army is about
complete and the boys have returned to civilian life the Army
and Navy Clyb here will soon be closed and the girls club that
has been suchan important factor in the activities there must
seek new quarters, and a home must be found for other branch
es of the work among the girls here.
Here is where our public schools with their class rooms
and auditoriums ought to come in as community centers. These
handsome buildings that have cost the taxpayers SO much
money could be put to an excellent use for about twice as many
hours as they are now used when school is in session by having
them open evenings under proper supervision for the young
people to enjoy themselves. aE
Unfortunately, however, not all the schools have auditori-
ums and it seems to be impossible to make satisfactory arrange
ments for their use in connection with social work, although
some other cities apparently make it work very successfully.
But it is gratifying to know that the excellent work among
the girls of the city that has been SO well established will
not have to be abandoned for the want of a convenient place
for meetings and social gatherings. The trustees of the Public
Library have granted the use of the auditorium in the library
building for the girls and, with the equipment from the Army
and Navy Club installed, there is no reason why the girls of the
city should not continue their good work throughout the win
ter months and until they are able to have a home of their. own.
The public does not realize, perhaps, what an important
community center the library has become of recent years. 1t
is already the home of several scout troops, and the American
ization classes that did such excellent work early in the spring
held their sessions there. Although seriously handicapped for
lack of funds, the library trustees are doing everything in their
power to encourage the use of the building in civic matters of
this kind. 1t is a big thing to get the young people and those
seeking American citizenship into the atmosphere of books and
good reading. The library becomes a familiar institution to
them and many who go at first only for amusement soon be-
come interested in the educational and cultural side of the in
stitution; they begin borrowing books and through reading be-
come informed and thereby are better citizens.
There has been a marked increase in the popularity OF
the library in recent years. Even the branch library in Brace
avenue is now being used as the home for a troop of girl scouts
There is no telling what could be accomplished along civic
lines by the library if it was provided with sufficient funds.
With coununitv work for the oirls centered in the