GENEROUS GIVING.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2561, 8 December 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

GENEROUS GIVING.

A wo.ndkrfui. response has been mado to an apppal on behalf of the Melbourne Hospital. To clear off an overdraft of £10,000 it was suggested that possibly in this year of "boom" 100 gentlemen might be found who would give each £100. Two of the members of the Committee, Messrs Dei-bin Willderraud J. S. Butters, set to work and iu a week had secured the 100 subsoiptions and one over. This is the biggest thing in charitable subsoiptions Australia has ever seen. The list of subscribers included the proprietors of each of the four newspapers—the Argus, Ago, Daily Telegraph, and Herald. The hospital is still some £0000 in debt on tho building fund, and it is suggested that by a littlo more effort the whole of this sum could be obtained, and the hospital thus allowed to begin with a clean sheet. The Hospital Sunday subscriptions this year also have been larger than ever before. The two Toorak churches have particularly distinguished themselves. There has always been a a rivalry between the two. Tho Anglican church this year made a morning contribution of £10>9 17s 3d, whilst the Presbyterian church had only put together £750 3s 3d. Evidently the large amuunt at the Anglican church had got wind, and some of the wealthy Presbyterians cirae to the rescue, for in the evening the respective amounts \vcre£3S9 3s9d and £47 4s 9d. This brought the totals to the following : — Presbyterian, £11 IS 7s ; Anglican, £1107 13s. Last year the respective contributions of the two churches were £50'5 and £502 ; so that the rivalry between them is producing the best results as regards the fund for the hospitals. It would be interesting to reckon up the total sum subscribed in this Centennial year in Melbourne to religion and charity. It is only a few weeks ago that at a meeting of tho Congregational Union one man (Mr G. W. Taylor) subscribed £30,000 (in five yearly sums of £10.000 each) to start a college in connection with tho Melbourne University, ami £10,000 additional was promised in the room. The Jubilee fund of the same denomination collected this year amounts to £45,000. The Wesleyans and the Baptists are also making jubilee collections. The Young Women's and the Young Men's Christian Associations ar-J each asking (and receiving) several thousands for new buildings. At one of the suburban churches the other evening, at the close of an evangelistic mission, over £1000 was put on the plate. The year ISSB will therefore lie an annus mirabilis in the matter of charitable and religious offerings, just as much as it has been iu land and share-dealing spseulations,