OTAGO BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION.

Evening Star, Issue 3420, 6 February 1874, Page 2

OTAGO BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION.

The annual meeting of subscribers was held yesterday afternoon. There was a verv small attendance. The President (Mr A. C. Strode) regretted—as he had regretted at almost every previous meetingofthelnstitution—that there was such a small number of subscribers present. There was nothing very special to call attention to on the present occasion ; but he might say that the Institution had relieved a large amount of distress during the past year, and that the public had come forward very liberally. There were one or two things to which he would like to cull attention. The experience of the past showed that the now incoming Committee would have to grapple, with a growing evil—namely, the frequent desertion of wives and families by lazy or drunken husbands. In fact, there was little doubt that this matter called loudly for legislation. Another point was that the Committee should have power to apprentice or hire out children, and to recover their wages, or enter into agreements on their account. The third point was a recommendation to the Government to provide a home for inebriates of both sexes It that were done, one-half of the distress at present existing would be put a stop to. REPORT. The Secretary read the report as follows : In laying the eleventh annual report before the subscribers, the Committee of Management regret that during the past year, notwithstanding the prosperous condition of the Province they have been called upon to relieve a We a*u>\mt of distress, the ex'penditur-a durirfg tfw

summer months, as shown by the tabular form attached, being not less than that of the winter. The disbursements for out-door relief, amounting to LB6B 10s 9d, were, however, LIMO less than the sum so expended in 1862, and LSOO less than in 1871. The principal causes of distress have again arisen from the desertion of f.imles by husbands, and in many cases through death and sickness. The Committee see no prospect of a considerable reduction in the expendituie, as a larger proportion of the cases are likely to be permanent. At the close of the year there were on the relief list 265 persons, entailing a weekly expenditure of L 15175. Of this amount L 3 Is was distributed in the country districts, amongst 61 persona. With respect to the direct work of the Institution for the year—ls children, 13rinen, and 3 women have been admitted. During the same period 7 boys and 8 girls have been placed out, and 3 boys and 3 girls have been taken out by relatives. 2 adults—males— have been discharged for misconduct, and 1 adult female to a situation. The total number remaining are oo children, 17 _ men, and 4 women. Of the adults, one is blind, and nearly all are helpless cripples, requiring personal attendance. The average number of inmates in the Institution during the past year has remained about equal to that of 1872, namely, 76. The cost of each inmate per week during the year was 8s Id. This amount shows an increase on the cost of maintenance of Is per head per week. This is accounted for by the greater number of adults admitted, and the cost of clothing being LIOO in excess of the previous year’s account! The health of the inmates has continued excellent, no serious case of sickness having occurred. There were no deaths during the year. The Oommittee record their appreciation of the care and attention of the medical officer both to the inmates and out-door patients.

The vacancy caused by by the resignation of Mrs Turner as matron was filled up by the appointment of Mrs Drysdale. The school work has progressed satisfactorily as hitherto, under the care of Miss Coxhead, who has now resigned. She leaves with the best wishes of the Committee, who desire to recognize her readiness at all times and in every way to forward the interests of the Institution, with which she has been connected since its opening. The religious instruction to the Protestant children and inmates has been satisfactorily attended to by the assiduous attention of Mr Macfie. The Committee express their grateful thanks to the several Churches for their annual offertones ; to the several collectors, donors, and annual subscribers for then- liberal support • also to those who have kindly contributed by their liberality to the entertainment and enjoyment of the inmates. By reference to the balance sheet it will be observed that financially the Institution is in a better position than last year. Although the actual receipts are less, the subscriptions amount to nearly L4OO more than the previous year, and the expenditure has been nearly L2OO less. The Committee regret to report that the riolomaL Parliament has not yet consented to the vote for the endowment of publicicharities. They trust, however, that their successors in office will use every endeavor to obtain this necessary provision for charitable aid from that source.

before resigning their trust and onenug themselves for re-election, would place on record the heavy loss to the Charity by the death of their late Vice-President, Mr Jas. Wilkie. In closing their report, they express their thankfulness at the result which has attended their labors, and enabled them, by the assistance of a, generous public, to relieve a large amount of distress, and in saving, as the\' believe, a number of young persons from profligacy, vice, and misery. They solicit for their successors a continuance of the sympathy and support hitherto accorded to the Charity. The Rev. Dr Stuart, in moving the adoption of the report, said he remembered last year some members of the Committee were full of fears and misgivings as to the support the institution was likely get. Those members would be delighted to find that their fears aud misgivings hath been so amply and effectua ly rebuked. The report gratified himself iu another way, inasmuch as it showed that their fellow settlors, whatever be might be their faults, wore not backward in responding to the call of distress aud misery, it did his heart good to see the heartiness with which citizens generally met sach cases as arose in their several localities* but as a supporter of the Institution, he was specially glad to see the continual support it goc from ail parts of the country. And who could wonder that such was the case, considei ing that it opened its doors to all, irrespective of creed or country ’ It was a matter of special gratification to him to be able to assure all who called upon him for assistance, that if their cases were as they represented, they would meet with every consideration from the Committee. He made that remark because he recently met a statement attributed to his friend Father Coleman that ‘ ‘ he would wash his hands clear of the Institution, because its arrangements were unfavorable, if not fatal to the religion of Catholic children.” He looked upon that imputation as very painful especially when he called to mind the gentlemen on the Committee, as he felt sure they would as soon be guilty of high treason as of anything likely to interfere with the religion of any of the children in the Institution, He asked himself this question ; Is it a fact that among the Catholic children in that Institution there has cropped up an unwillingness to submit to Church authority ? If that be the case, what was the cause or explanation of it ? He was quite sure that the explanation was not that the matron, schoolmistress, or Committee jjad conspired against the religion of the children. He was inclined to think that the explanation was this ; That in these Colonua the ideas of toleration and spiritual independence filled the air and floated about, and had entered not only the playgrounds, school grounds, and dining rooms, but in fact everywhere. They were found in newspapers, and in all their institutions ; they were met with in every place. He bdieved that was the real explanation of it; aud then children—and Catholic children amongst them might spring up at times, and catch hold of those floating ideas, and hence the restlessness that some of them might exhibit under Church authority. He had no hesitation in avowing his conviction that there was not on the part of this Institution or its officials any determination to interfere with anyone’s religion but only to do their best for the children,* whether Protestant or Catholic. Personally, he felt indebted to the gentlemen who managed this Institution ; and all sensible people in town with whoju he conversed equally acknowledged their indebtedness to the men who, week after week, met difficult cases, and on the whole met them so successfully.

t Mr Rennie, while admitting there was an increase in the subscriptions, could say from his own knowledge that the sums subscribed were quite disproportionate to the subscribers’ means. It would be much better for people who held immensely largo propertics in the Province to come forward, liberally, and instead of giving L 5, give LSO If a pi or rate were levied those people he referred to would have to pay perhaps LIOO towards the support of the poor. He believed that ultimately, if poverty continu-d to increase, a poor rate would have to be levied. Such a rate would not be so heavy on those who contributed already, bub it would tall heavily on those who at present refused to put their hands in their pockets to support this charitable institution. He was afraid that the balance in hand at present was owing to the severe and pinching economy practised by the Committee. * The Chairman remarked that although the balance was at present in their favor ' here were times during the year when the committee were at dead low water. They then haa to obtain an overdraft, and’ become responsible,

mu ® tj ® CTloN ' OF OFFICE-BEARERS. i follow p iQ g gentlemen were elected office-bearers for the ensuing year :—President, Mr A. 0. Strode; vice-president and treasurer, Mr R. B. Martin; committee, Messrs James Pulton, A. Bennie, John Hislop, M. P Hardy James Mollison. B. Bagley, and James Black. s