THE BENEVOLENE INSTITUTION.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2484, 1 February 1871, Page 2

THE BENEVOLENE INSTITUTION.

The annual meeting of the subscribers was held iu Farley’s Hall yesterday afternoon. The. attendance was small, and Mr Strode, R. M., presided. The chairman, iu opening the proceedings, slated that the calls on the funds of the Institution during the past year had been very numerous and heavy. During last winter they had been especially heavy ; and never since his connexion -with the Institution, or s nee he had been in the place, had he known such an amount of real distress. Had it not been for the Institution he really did not know what would have become of many of the poor ; and he fearel a great many deaths would have taken place from absolute starvation.

The committee’s report, which was as follows, was, oa the motion of the Ecv. D. M. Stuart, a I opted non. con. :

“In consequence of the severity of the last winter, unci the want of emoloymeut of a large number of the working classes, there has been an unusual demand on the resources of the Institution, as will be observed by a comparison with previous years. Ihe sum disbursed for out-door relief during the past year amounted to hi 180, as against L 74') during the year 18611. “ Amongst the cases dealt w’th, the committee regret to state there appears to be a number which in all likelihood will become permanent burdens upon the Institution; and at the close of the year there were '203 versons on the relief list, entailing a weekly disbursement of L'-M. In this amount (id persons residing in the country participated to the extent of Ld 7s Gd weekly. “The number of inmates in the Institution at Caversham has also considerably increased. This circumstance is mainly owing to, the admission from the Hospitals of a nnmbe.t of incurable patients. The introduction of this class of inmates—all infirm and many helpless, rendered necessary some considerable alteration in the interior arrangements of the building in order to pro-, vide accommodation suited to their exigencies and requirements. The committee, however, have found ii desirable to keep these adult inmates altogether apart from the children, and they applied to the Provincial Government and obtained a building capable of accommodating them, which lias, been removed to the Institution and will he shortly re-erected,

‘‘ The committee take the opportunity of expressing their entire satisfaction with* the. manner in which Mr and Mrs Turner have discharged their duties, in connection with the management of the Institution. The average cost of each inmate per head during the past 12 months lias boc-n slightly under 7s per week, as against 8s 9.U1 in 18(39. The committee also have pleasure iu testifying to the discipline of the children, and to their satisfactory progress iu the va ions branched of creation, ipulcr charge of Miss Oox* head. The religions training of the Protestant children is still attended to by Mr Macho, and the committee have noticed with' pleasure his assiduous attention to his duties aud believe that most beneficial results will, be derived from his ministrations.

“During the most severe portion of last winter, the committee employed three or four married men, whose families, but for this temporary employment, would have been thrown upon the Institution 1 for support. These men, together with the strongest of the adult inmates, were employed under the direction of the master, in necessary works on the ground,?, Eight children have' fyeen placed put fit Ecfvjcc dpripg the year,' and, with one exception, they have giv§p satisfaction to their employers, ‘ ( The committee draw attention, with regret, to the fact that the subscription list for the past year shows a considerable fallingoff. They trust, however, that the public will continue lb support liberally an Institution the usefulness of which must be so manifest to all. They further desire to rc-

mind the public that the revenue from the Provincial Government dep nds upon the amount subscribed iu each year—the subsidy of two pounds for every one pound being still paid to the funds of the Institution. . “ The bahv’ce sheet showed the income oi the year, including a sum of L 1,484 4s 4d brought over from 1809, to have bom L 4,818 2s lOd ; and the expenditure L 8.944 8s Id ; leaving a balance of LS7B 19s 9d in baud on the 81st December last.

“Fioin the statistical tables, it appears that 05 adult males and 285 females, with 608 children, making a total of 9 »8 persons, received out-door reiief during the year ; the recipients being of all religious dcnom.nations, Protestant and Koman Catholic. ( 'f these 908 persons, 059 wore discharge I during the course of the year, leaving 258 on the books on the 81st L'eccmber. Ihe number of poisons relieved in 1809 was 010 \ in 1808, 492 ; and in 1867, 825. On the 81st December, 1809, the Institution at Caversham contained 09 inmates; on the .>lst December, 1870, 84. ’’ It was stated that, in consequence ot the increased number of patients and the distance of the Institution from town, the lion, medical officers wi re unable to give their services gratuitously any longer. It was therefore recommended that rule 12 should be altered, so as to allow of the appointment of paid officers if necessary. The rule was altered accordingly. The election of office-bearer’s resulted as follows Mr Strode, president; vice-presi-dent, Mr 11. 13. Martin ; hou. treasurer, Mr 15. Bagley ; committee, Messrs .1. Fult'-n, \V. I).° Murison, A. Bennie, Wilkie, 11. Houghton, J. Kilgour, C. Young, and C. Hendle. A special vote of thanks was awarded to Drs Hocken and Kichardson for their past services as honorary medical officers.