THE IMPERIAL WORK OF THE GIRLS' FRIENDLY SOCIETY.
[To TED EDITOR OF TER " SPECELTOR.":1
SIH,—Will you allow me to bring before your readers the claim of the Imperial work of the Girls' Friendly Society? This Society has spread far beyond the United Kingdom, beyond even the bounds of the Empire, and its object is the care and protection of the girls of the Empire wherever they may be. The Emigration Department gives them a safe-conduct across the seas, but dangers await them on the distant shore, and there the G.F.S. welcomes them in its Lodges. They are a shelter for the newly arrived emigrants and a home, temporary or permanent, for members living in their vicinity, as well as a safe and happy place in which to spend leisure hours. There ought to be a Lodge at every port and in all large towns, but that is far from being the case. There is only one Lodge in South Africa, and only two in Canada.. The reason for the deficiency is the very prosaic; one—want of funds. The G.F.S. Central Fund is barely sufficient for the support of the home organization, so for the Imperial Organiza- tion Fund the Society must appeal to outsiders, and surely it I:3 an object that must appeal to all who have the welfare of our Empire at heart. The Imperial Organization Fund has a beggarly income of £50, utterly inadequate to meet the constant appeals for more and larger Lodges, to provide safety and comfort for our girl emigrants. There will be greater need for this after the war; let us provide for it beforehand. Contributions may be sent to Miss Ethel Smith, G.F.S. Central Office, 39 Victoria Street, S.W.— President Southwark G.F.S. Diocesan Counoil.
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