SAILORS' HOME.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 152, 28 June 1901, Page 2

SAILORS' HOME.

The animal meeting of the Auckland Sailors' Home Association was held this afternoon, the Most Rev. the I'ri-

mate presiding. The annual report stated:—

As it, has been proposed that a meeting should be called to promote more piiblic interest in the Institution, it may be as well to recapitulate the circumstances connected with its origin and present position. It was inaugurated in January, 1883, by the Most Rev. the Primate as '"Hie Auckland Sailors' Rest and Home," to promote the social comfort and the moral and spiritual welfare of seafaring men resident in or visiting Auckland without respect to their nationality or religious belief, and it was maintained in the first place, by subscriptions from the general public; but on the receipt of the large sums of moneys bequeathed by the late Edward Costlev, the Managing Committee were enabled to extend its operations and usefulness, and it was registered as a limited liability company, under "The Companies Act, 1582," aud on the 6th of April, 1887, the foundation stone of the present building was formally laid by the Most Jtevd. the President..

It can accommodate 35 boarders, but the daily average number of inmates since it was opened has been between 18 and 19. In Hie first few years the number varied between 20 and 25, but latterly they have, diminished, and this year there have been but 13.8, the lowest on record. One cause of this has been the greater demand for sailors, owing to the war in South Africa, an more vessels arc afloat, and men do not remain long unemployed. The weekly charge for board and lodging is 15/, or £39 {Kir annum, but the actual cost of house expenses this year has been £-10 or 17/8 per week. The expenditure for gas, coal, water, etc., is the same for fourteen as it would be Cor double that number of men. The deficiency, £90, has to be provided from the income derived from the endowment, against which Ls also charged the manager's salary: £100, the rent payable to the Harbour Board for the Mission Hall site, £25, and the insurance, rates, repairs, etc., amounting to £ 127 14/1.

In the Sydney Sailors' Home it is calculated that unless the number of inmates reaches 35, the charge of 15/ a week will not pay expenses. This question of charges for board will have to be considered by the uew Council, for the price of bread and meat aud many other necessaries, as well as servants wages, are increasing.

The balance sheet shows that the liabilities exceed the assets by £8 15/9, but the arrears due for board, which now amount to the large sum of £111, and have not been included in the credits, will do more than relieve tins sum, so that the capital is still intact, and the Home is in a sound financial position. This question of arrears for board, which have been annually increasing, must be faced, and it has also been remitted for the special consideration of the new Board. Four men were admitted on discharge, from the hospital, and kept until fit to go to work again. Dr. Lewis has ever been ready to attend to these cases whenever medical assistance has been required, and the warm thanks of all are due to him for the many services he has rendered since the first establishment of the Home.

Mr and Mrs Little continue to merit entire satisfaction, and are very popular amongst the men, but in the latter end of March, the former was seized with a serious illness, and on the advice of his medical attendant was granted a month's leave of absence to proceed South for change of air and rests During 12 years' of faithful service, this has been the first occasion of his absence from duty, and while he was away, the work of the Home was satisfactorially carried on by his son and married daughter, who have an intimate knowledge of the different departments of the Institution. Mr Little has returned with his health apparently quite re-established, and has furnished the Council with notes of what he observed amongst the Sailors' Rests and Homes in the southern parts of tbe colony.

The balance-sheet showed that the payments on house accounts had been £727 17/ and the receipts £537 6/, leaving a debit of £1.90 11/ to be added to the working account, the total expenditure on this head being £383 5/1, and the credit balance £8 15/9. The assets totalled £12,304 9/3.