PLANNING FOR YOUTH
Sut,—In so many articles on youth one is struck by the note of criticism. It is of course far from being all older people who—from time immemorial —criticise the young, and perhaps one should just accept it as inevitable and the product of some mysterious psychological cause. But I long to say to such people, "Please, before you start criticising, rake a look at what youth does—encourage it, protect it, and give it all you can." The youth of this country (with the exception of a tiny minority) become wage-earners at the age of 14. In return for their work they receive enough money to feed themselves, to clothe themselves badly, and to go to the cinema several times a week. Its parents cannot provide it with home recreation or instruction, and the community does not provide re-
creational centres. • Recreational centres, consisting of a restaurant, cinema, dance room, library, swimnung pool, gym, clinic and undenominational chapel would, I Believe, find plenty of patrons of all ages, particularly amongst the young. Some might feel that the expense of such places would make them out of the question, but if there was a very small charge for weekly membership and for the cinema, library, &c., it is possible that such centres might be completely self-supporting. We must always remember that it is the old who fail the young and not the reverse.—Yours truly,
Grimstone Manor, Gating East, York. JoAN Baooxe.
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