July 31.
The publication of the protest concerning, the rates charged by the Foreign Y.M.C.A. {to residents in the building apposite the Race Course, and Dr, McCracken's letter complain ing of the action of this journal in publishing it again draws attention to the affairs of that institution. Lest it be claimed that the Foreign Y, is in the nature of a private club and that fis domestic questions are no matter for public discussion, it should be pointed out that, in addition to' the gifts made by Mr. Crane, former US. Minister te China, Capt, Robert Dollar and the International' Committee in New York, the Shanghai public did its bit by subscribing no less than Tls. 200,000. The public of Shanghai is consequently very interested to knowing how an institution nade possible by its donations is being managed, and though the board of trustees of the Foreign ¥.M.C.A. appear to think that the concern they control' is a private one, there are many, including. this Journal who hold an entirely opposite view.
It is a fact that there is dissatisfaction amongst residents at the Foreign Y.M.C.A, at the Increases which have already occurred and the one which was announced in June' Inst. The charges made in the protest are such that they should be investigated, for if it is true as the compilers of that document aver that "food and room rent charges" are "obviously built up to cover, the non-profit producing activities of the Y." then the considerations which led the public of Shanghai to subscribe so handsomely sixteen years ago ne longer prevail and the intention of the donors to provide a place where men could live reasonably cheaply has been frustrated. The protestants complain that they are facing increases "out of all proportion to the increases being levied by the better class boarding houses." That is either a statement fof fact, or it is not, and the people who assisted in making the Foreign ¥.M.C.A. possible will naturally want to know the truth, fof the matter, that fu the ease of another protest ae far 'A correspondent to this journal suggests
back as 1939 it was proposed to establish 'a Residents' Representative Committee as a liaison body between the Trustees and the: residents. The story of how. that matter was dealt with is not very comfortable reading for it indicates lack of willingness 10 listen to the grievances of the members, and. 8 degree of autocracy which will surely not, commend itself o the average person in this day and age. It is not suggested that the interests of the residents are wholly neglected, but it is claimed that they are not listened to as they have every right they should be. This is by no means the first dispute which has arisen during the sixteen years of the existence in Shanghai of ihe Foreign Y¥.M.C.A., and sight must not be lost of the fact that' there is propalely something to be said for' the Trustees in this matter. Tt is not to be assumed that the protestants' case is wholly good, but the Trustees, by their custom of maintaining the cloiest reticence,
Standings which it should be their bounden duty to remove.
Its perhaps unfortunate that the compilers" of in rots Howe and up wath 8 fumatory paragraph threatening 4o oppe: The "WALEA, headquarters. in New York. Their request for a. sub-committee of investigation seems reasonable enough, and the Trustees should welcome the opportunity of putting their case before the representatives OF the residents rather than maintain a Gogged silence which can do nothing but reed. suspicion all round, The impression fined "during the history of the institution Etat there has been too-much of the "take it or leave it" attitude on the part of those Tesponsible for the management of the For= feign ¥._ That impression should be removed, fand that can. best be done by the Trustees Histening. to the representatives. of the re= Sidents who consider hey have grievances, After all the raison d'étre of the Insitution {Sto render service to its members at the Tost "reasonable rates possible and that is not. being. "done, as the protestants allege, then the YAMLC.A, is not fulniting ts mission,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.