CANTERBURY FEMALE REFUGE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1853, 30 January 1880, Page 3

CANTERBURY FEMALE REFUGE.

Tlio annual meeting of subscribers to the above institution was held at the City Council Chambers yesterday. There were present — Mr Q-. Booth (in the chair), the Rev. Mr Aldred, Mr Bowron, and Mr Jamieson. The Rev. Mr Aldred acted as secretary. The Secretary stated that his Lordship the Primate would have been present but for his being detained on the West Coast by the floods. The Dean was absent owing to an engagement elsewhere. The following annual reports were then placed before the meeting and adopted : The committee of the Canterbury Female Refuge have the honor to lay before the subscribers to its funds and the public generally their report for the year just closed. A lengthy statement on their part is rendered unnecessary, on account of the very full and exhaustive report; of the Indies' committee, hereto annexed. On the working, management, conduct of the inmate", &c, jour committee invite attention to the ladies' report. On tho financial condition of the institution, the treasurer's balance-sheet, about to be submitted to you, will furnish full information.

The suhjtjct which at present is engaging the most earnest consideration of your committee, and to which they desire to give prominence in the report, is the pressing need of making provision for admis-sion into the Kefuge of unfortunate women classified under the heading of " CUss B —For those who have become hardened in vice, bat who profees themselves anxious for an opportunity of reform " Several applica'ious for admittanco from this class have recently been made, and it is to be regretted made in vain. Before such persona can bo received into tho institution, it ia indispensable, in the opinion of your committee, that arrangements should be made for their complete separation from the class at present admitted. Such a provision for entire separation your committee, owing to insufficiency of f ands, are at present unnble to make In response to the committee's appeal, recently made on behalf of this class, several liberal donations have been received by the treasurer ; but, on the whole, a sufficient amount has not, as yet, come to hand to justify the committee incurring the liability which the necessary alterations, fencing, and furnishing would involve and once m'iro, on behalf of this class, they plead for further pecuniary aid. ]sr. Nedwill, who for many years was hou medical officer to the refage, his, on account of his additional duties, felt compelled to resign that office. Your committee cannot, in justice to Dr. Nedwill, do otherwise than bear their testimony to the worth of his services to the Refuge. In reviewing the year, your committee are firm in the conviction that the Refuge has done a gooi work. It has b>cn a home to many who without, it would hava been homeless, and a protection to sneh who without it would have bean, u' der painful circumstances, unprotected. It has been true to its title, a refuge.

The religious influence that characterises the institution the Sunday services, the weekly Bible class, and daily prayers by the matron—have not been, in the opinion of your committee, destitute of beneficial results.

Your commi tee cannot, bring the report to a close without bearing their sincere and emphatic testimony to the devotedness of the ladies' committee to the interests of the Refuge. Neither time nor pains do the ladies spare th' mselves in their efforts to make the institution a success ; and further, when the time comes for the younj women to laave the Refuge, the ladies do their best to find them suitable situations, and in seeing, as far as they can do so, that their infants a-e properly cared /or. The favorable recognHion of the ladies' committee as to the services of Mis" Nimmo, the matron, your committee can conscientiously endorse. Your committee once moro_ commend the Refuge to your kind consideration, and ask on it* behalf a continuance of your support Tbey close the report with the hope that the number of regular subscribers to its funds will be increased.

The committee of ladies of the Canterbury Female Refuge, in reporting upon the progress of the institution during the past year, are gUd to be aMe to testify to the improvem nt in the working of the in'titution, and to the encouraging results which it hss been the means of achieving. < n January Ist, 1879, there were 15 women in the insttution, 18 have been ad mitted during the year, 12 have had children bom in the Kefuge (two stillborn), two have been sent to th'ir friends, one was sent to the hospital suffering from epileptic fits, one wa» tui.rried from the Refuge, one (who came in under a misapprehension with regfird to the rules) left at the end of a fortnight, one was dismissed for- in-nbordination, and for 12 suitable situation have be<m found. The conduct of the women after leaving the Refuse has been mo"t SMti.-f.io'ory. The health of the innjiit s has been on the 'whole good. An atta k of measles of a mild type prevailed among the child r-n during the winter, and two of the mo-hnrs required more than the usual amount of rot dical attent ; on, the expanse in this direction is greater than usual but the committee is happy to report that no life has been lost. The ages of the inmates vary from 15 years to 28 One of the two inmates who were sent to thiir triends was a Norwegian, who had lost her fight sirce she came to the colony, and was absolutely helpless. s he was sent with h«rchild t> her friends in Njrwav, who were able »nd willing to receive her, careful provision beicg made for her snpervi.-iin on the vovage h>ine, her reception in L ndon, and tranship inont to the steamer bound for Christiana The other, a de icate girl of sixteen, who, after her coiifiLiOment, was temp, rarily at Suunyside, was on her di-chargo from thenc > sent back to her moth»r in Melbourne, her child being adopted, with her consent, by the person who had charge of it while she was in the Asylum. The Indies' committee collected special subscriptions for thes-e pmnrgeucies. Both cases were very deserving of assistance. The thinks of the committee aredneto'he gentlemen who have conducted the Futiday services, and to Mr Hargreaves (or his untiring zeal in the conduct of the weekly Bible class. I ho com-nittee earne-tly hope that the appeal which has been u ade to ihe public for the prepira'i'.nof the new wing for cla c s B will meet with a iberal respoEse. Accommodation in this wing can be providid for that class of unfortunates for whom there has hitherto been no shelt r. The services of a matron who 1 as had experience io the management of these w >meo have be<-n obtained. v\ ith some alterations, absolute separation from the inmates od tho

other sido oE tho building can bo secured, and the coinmittae confidently hope for good and encouraging results from this extension of their effortß inholpingtoreclaim thoao who have fallen. Several acceptable presents have been made by friends to the institution during the year. A sewing machine from Mrs Bray, and an assortment of crockery for tho use of the inmates from Mr A. J. White, b-ing specially useful. Assistance from the public in the form of either clothing, furnituro, or food would be thankfully received. The ladies desire to record their sense of the loss which they and the institution have sustained through the lamented death of Mrs Montgomery, who for. so many years took such an active part and kind interest in tho welfare of the Refuge. The committee havo tbo gratification to report that Miss Nimmo continues to discharge her dutie3 with zeal and devotion, and they desire to place on record the high opinion ithey entertain of the value of her services to the institution. Tho balance sheet was subsequently read, showing an expenditure of nearly £I3OO for the past year. Tho following gentlemen wore elected a committee for tho year 18S0 :—Hia Lordship tho Primate of Now Zealand, his Honor tho Judge, tho Very Rev. the Dean of Christchurch, the Rev. C. Fraser, Messrs Bowron, G. Booth, H. Thomson, W. Pratt, H. W. Packer, C. R. Blakiston, J. P. Jamieson, and Rev. T. Aldred.

The following woro appointed a lady's committee : Mesdames Rolleston, Inglis, Anderson, Cowlishaw, Gould, Jacobs, Aikman, Fletcher, Robison, and Hey wood. This concluded the business, and the meeting adjourned.