ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2276, 9 November 1889, Page 2

ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY.

Thbik is no institution, the outcome of modirn oivilieation, which is more thonaghly cosmopolitan, more universallydeßerving of support than that to whici we now propose to refer, viz., the Koyjl Humane bociety. The parent institution, that of Great Britain, iounied m 1774:, has duriug its beneficentcareer ot rather more than a century been the means of rescuing, directly, upmrds of 40,000 persons from death, beeiles spreading a knowledge of how to treat persons apparently drowned, and Othe/0 suffering from the effects of aocicents of various kinds which has been the means of saving many thousand) more. In 1874 an offshoot of the parent organisation wap formed m Victoria, and was formally inaugurated as tie Victorian Humane Society, and four /ears later this society extended the scope ot its operations to all the colonies of Australasia, and, with the consent of her Majesty, assumed the title of " The Ro/al Humane Society of Australasia." From its annual report, for the year 1883-89, which has just reached us, we leara that during its career this society has dealt with 863 cases of gallantry brought under its notice, and has made 726 awards for saving or attempting to save life, m addition to which it has done excellent work m diffusing information as to the best methods " for restoring the apparently dead from drowning, hanging, lightning, cold, heat, noxious vapours, apoplexy, or intoxication, regard also being had to suggesting the simplest I remedies m cases of sunstroke, snakebite, avid other accidents peculiar to these colonies ; to which have been added rules for protection of life from fire. The vital statistics of the Australasian colonies show that the number of deaths from accidental causes is very considerable, and to avert such, or even a small proportion of them, is the «im of the Society." Among other steps taken towards this end has been an endeavor (to some extent successful) to have the young m all pnblic and State schools instructed m the meanß of saving life, and the giving oof a " Queen's medallion " to tba scholar m oaoh competing school who Bhews the greatest profioiency m gwimming exercises with reference to life-saving, and medals and certificates to scholars who evince sufficient theoretical or praotical knowledge on the subject to entitle them thereto. In New Zealand wo fear, Bufficien t attention is not given to this subject, ;but it is pleasing to find that m some schools the reverse is the case, for we note that during the past year a medallioni waß won by a. Denham, of the Boys' High School, Ohristchurch, a medallion by John Patewion, and t;ertffictrte by Henry Tomba, of tine West Ohristohurch School; a medallion by William Newton, and a certificate by Florence Emily Keeble, of the Karori School, Wellington; and a medallion by Alexander Mackenzie, of the ■VTakaiakara School, Thames. Then the bociety has no less than 253 stations throughout Australasia where life-buoys have been placed, three new stations having been established during the past year. During the year 1888-89 117 applications for the awards granted for risking life m saving or attempting to aave the lives of others, have been brought before the Court of Directors, and 88 awards have been made ; the gold medal with the Clarke clasp lor the most heroic case of the year going to Thomas Caniffe, ot Bundaberg, Queensland, to a resident of which colony the Clarke medal hae now been thrice awarded . The roll of honor of the several colonies for the y«ar stands as follows : — Victoria, silver medals 8, bronze 35, certificates of merit 6, total 44 ; New South Wales, silver medals 2, bronze 10, certificates 5, total 17 ; J^ew Zealand, bronze medals 5, certificates 6, total 11 ; Queensland, gold medal 1, silver 1, bronze 5, certificates, 2, total 9 ; Wgbtern Australia, silver medal 1, bronze 2, total 3 ; South Australia, silver medal 1, bronze 1, total 2 ; Tasmania, silver medal 1 , bronze medal 1, total 2. uf the New Zealanders mentioned m this report as rewarded for aots of gallantry the following received the Sooiety's bronze medal, viz., William Smith, ship's steward on the Kotomahana, rescuing a lady from drowning at Auckland wharf ; Edward J. Eobinson, rescuing a boy from drowning m Wellington harbor ; William M'Kenzie Common', rescuing a child £rom drowning at Tauranga; George 8. Button (aged 13), rescuing a boy from drowning m the river Thames, Auckland ; Arthur Holberton Miles Braithwaite (aged 12), rescuing a boy from drowning m a creek near Hastings ; while the following were awarded certificates of merit, vis., John Harvey (aged 21), rescuing a child from drowning at New Plymouth j Henry Mitchell and Lawson Robins, seamen, rescuing a man from drowning at Lyttel(on ; Herbert Hyam de Costa (aged 14) rescuing a child from drowning at Gisborne ; Ole Anthon Bernsten and John Ulander, rescuing a man from drowning at Waitara. So large a number of $ew Zealand recipients of the Society's awards indicates two things, one of which is the frequency of accidents, particularly of cases of drowning m this colony — a fact resultant from the large number of rivers and oteeks which this well-watered country possesses — and the other the pleasing fact that gallantry and bravery are characteristic of JSew Zealand colonists. Turning to the financial part of the report, however, we regret to notice that New Zealand's contributions to the funds of the Society do not figure proportionately well, and we therefore desire very heartily to urge its claims to support upon those who are able to become subscribing members. It may be mentioned that Mr Beverley Buchanan of Lyttelton, Mr C. Whitefoord, R.M. of Kaiapoi, and our own Resident Magistrate, Captain Wray, are the Canterbury representatives of this useful organisation, either of whom will doubtless be glad to receive and forward 1 pubgoription» or d^wtipn^ t.9 |(s foqdQ,