The Wayside

[?]athy Over The Youth Centre [?]4 Valuable Asset Is Falling By The Wayside

From a Suva Correspondent The Suva Youth Centre, lich was to be a cure for ywing juvenile delinquency in H’s capital city, has fallen on rk days. The centre has had struggle for its existence since was officially opened earlier ts year.

ART from financial troubles and lack of public interest, the warden (Mr. Wiwi Ragg) and wife have had to contend with continual presence of drunks, /es and prostitutes in Marks in which the centre is located. le centre is a Rotary-inspired set which has the blessing of Government and welfare :ers, and within its strict finan limits, has had a marked effect the good of the youth of Suva. took off the streets a growing y of young unemployed and ided them with healthy recrea each night. Sports teams from centre took an active part in y and soccer competitions in season just ended, it many of a wide variety of ned activities fell by the way through the lack of instructors. le management committee rman (Mr. H. H. Madams) a months ago issued a circular ,000 citizens seeking contribu -3 of £l/1/- to keep the centre g. About 100 responded.

Resigned

r. Madams, who has since re ed, was one of very few who taken an active interest in the re's affairs. The warden’s wife 3. Dorothy Ragg) in a recent r to the Fiji Times mentioned others, the Rev. Niko and Mr.

Foster, an enthusiastic Ro in and one of the two-prime ers in founding the centre. it Rotary’s general policy is to ate and get projects going.

Lr task finished when they ded the completed building over be centre management commit r. Madams, at the last meeting be management committee, said . the committee’s decision to > the centre going was not prac ble as there was not enough iey to pay the warden’s salary.

But Mr. Les Martin, the Rotary Club president, said that if there was not enough money he would

Fi/“J

team could tour New South Wales. and some years ago offered to back toursT 11 RUgbY tGam ° n ° ne ° f itS A Mr. Madams remarked that normany he would have thanked Mr.

Martin for the offer but would not on this occasion because he was “too damned sick of this city”.

According to Mr. Madams the PpwvJw I *' W IV ma^ e a con “ tnbution towards the centre.

However, the police in 1961, may make a sergeant available to work through the centre to help delin-

quent boys, although this man will have nothing to do with policing the centre or Marks Park. * would have been thought that

f?esh’inTheir mfnd? wh?n

hooligans l were bfamVd for thl « would regard the centre as an insurance, and a safety valve to ensure that young men engaged in healthy ac tivities. The centre is too valuable an be an a d U °Y n ed * all J> y un* favourable publicity, the organise tions represented in the manage ment committee can be expected to make determined efforts to ensure it continues with its good work.