FEMALE REFUGE.

Evening Star, Issue 3948, 20 October 1875, Page 2

FEMALE REFUGE.

The annual meeting of the Dunedin Female Kefuge was held iu the Wesleyan Cliuicn last evening, Mr 11. Chapman in the ch.ur. t here was a large number ot ladies and genii • mo present, include g Bisnop JN'evid, Arch deacon Edwards, the Levs, It. L. taufoid, E. G. Benny, C. uigg, J. Dav.s, Dr Stuart, and Dr ilusebv. The Chairman made a few opening remarks, adverting to the success which had atteudi d the institution during iis existence of two years, and stating that it was now nearly sebsuppcrciug—that was to say that, iu tmure, it could Ik: supported by tho contributions of the lienevoh nt without aid from the Provincial or any ether Government. He knew one or two ladies who mule tho management of the itefuge tho Very business of their lives, and he would always support the institution to ths extent or his humble means. Tae .-kcretauy (Mr E. B. Cargill) read the report up to May 31 of the present year. It showed that a piece of land, consisting ofh-ll an aero, in Forth street, with a sinail house erected thereon, was puichas-ed by the i ommitteo iu 1873, for which the sum of LbOOwas paid. Considerable additions and improvements to the building hail since been effected, the whole fenced in, and during the present year the entire debt had been cleared off'. The i resent building has accommodation foi dghteen inmates. The sum of L 250 had been received from the Puivincial Government as a grant iu aid of tho funds of the lustituti n. the Committee commenced the year with a balance in hand of • 10j Os 1M ; thus the total revenue of tho year amounted to L ( JO7 I2s O.j r while tho expenditure amounted to L9lO 4s ti j. Daring the past year twenty-four women had been admitted, of whom seven had been in the Home during some part of tin | reviews year, and four had been admit ted for the third tie ; ■ix woi’i young women who had been confined in the Hospital,_ and were temporarily taken ,nto tho Keuigo ti l they could otherwise provide lor th mselves and thei: infants ; of these, four obtained situftt ons, one was removed bs her friends, and one remains. Of tho othci women, one was pmvided with a situat.on, but after remaining for a few days sought op portunity to re- urn to her old Tfe ; one who ran away went into service, behaved well, and

[* now rwpeotably married; twelve other*, to I i |ie committee's regret, had left at various i imes and returned to a life of fiu ; ten r : uftined in the Refuge on the 30, hj of May, 187f>. ag-s of those who have n ea iumntes luring the year ranvo from fiitenn to fiftyiree iw, lye x' er«'.atives of ' Gotland, ten of ■ e f.nd, and six of England; nine were ion) m Catholics, and nineteen Protes‘ant* ; thirteen could real and write, nine read a little, V'.* , not H ;d. Very few women under have remained long in the institution. 6 committee felt not wholly without eucoura, :cmeiir,, taking into consideration the mo nl.y degraded and Inst condition of the 1 asH they re kto benefit. Only those who ha e honestly made the effort can fully realise the difficulties and discouragements that stand in the way of reformation among poor fallen women. The committee thanked the subscribers for the li teral manner in which they had responded to the c aims of the R fuge, and hlso ackncmlcdgr-d, with much gratitude, lections from the various Churches to the funds, and the receipt of various contributions of timber, clothing, medicine, and other armies f>r the use of the institution. They al-o thanked Dr Borrows for is kind attention as honorary meitie.il officer during the past year, and WrP. Chapman for gratuitous piofessional assistance in relation to the conveyance of their property and general advice. . '-The Rev. Dr Stuart, in moving the adoption of the report, said the committee's work was of enormous difficulty. He felt that they were greatly indebted "to the ladies for the time they had devoted to this sad business, and he would assist them as much as possible to restore the fallen to paths of decency, industry, and compnat.ve happiness. Archdeacon Edwards was also of tho opinion that they owed n deep debt of gratitude to the ladies who had so earnestly engaged in | tills wmk, but ho regretted that particular ( mention was not made of two ladies, who bad | gone into the worst parts of Dunedin, and endeavored to induce persons to return to a holy life. He thought there should be some I alteration in the rules as to the admission to the Refuge of women of all ages ; at present young girls and women old in crime were permitted to associate together. The i ev. Mr Riao seconded the motion, and the report was adopted unanimously. Archdeacon Edwards nn ved fuiure no woman beyond the ago of tWtuty-five be admitted into the institution.” I'he Rev. R. L. Stanford had great pleasure in seconding the motion. The Rev. Dr Roseby said he must reluctantly oppose the motion. Ho moved a, an amendment—“ ITiat it be a ieco ninendation to the committee to discourage the admission into the institution of tho-e beyond the age of thirty ” Torrance seconded the amendment, and mentioned that one of the inmates who had dwelt in the worst haunts of Dunedin had been haipily manied last year. I After some further di.-cu-sion, Archdeacon I Tdwards said not a single speaker tad alI lud-d o what he considered the extreme daui eer of permitting children of hf.ee.i to usso ; ci.it - with women ireb.e their age. Me thouglu tin* inst tu ion could not possibly sue .eed under such circumstances. It was eventually decided to leave the matter to the discretion . f the Radies’ (Joinmiuee. I'lie following office-bearers were re-elected for ihe ensuing year: -President, Mrs Matthew i i.olmes; Vice-President, Mrs Davies; Treasurer, Mrs Chapman; Hun Secretary, Mrs E, B. Cargill ; Matron, Mrs Snowden ; Work--1 ing Committee, Mrs Dick, Mrs Glasgow, Mrs ' ! Chapman, Mrs Stanford. Mrs Little, Miss Lambtou, Mrs Muir, Mrs Mercer. Get eral Committee, Mrs Holme, rs Stanford, M.s G. Hook, Mrs Chapman, Mrs Glasgow, Mis Dick, Miss Lambton, Mrs Litrlo. Airs Little, Mrs Neville, Mrs Gow, Mrs Houghton, ; Mrs J. Reid, Mrs Calvert, Airs Jack, Mrs i Coventry, Mrs Simons, Airs Burrows, Al ss M‘Dougal, Mis • looinb. The rolli iwmg motion was proposed by Bishop Nkvill, si-cotided by the Rev. Air , ditto, and carried amidst 'loud applause “ T hat tho thanks of this meeting be excreted to the committee of ladies for their exertions on the part of the institution during ■ the past year.” and the meeting dispersed with a vote of thanks to the Choi man.