PRESBYTERIAN CITY MISSION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 195, 16 August 1906, Page 2

PRESBYTERIAN CITY MISSION.

A YEAR'S GOOD WORK. t 1 The past year's work of the. Presby- • terian City Mission is a record of good j deeds done unostentatiously, and afford- , ing help and relief to many who have not been successful in the "struggle for j existence." The annual meeting of the , Mission is to be held to-morroYV night in • St James's Hall, and the opportunity 1 will be taken to present to those who \ attend a highly interesting account of .- the work done during the past twelve |l months. The Mission is unsectarian, ' From being some £80 in arrears at the j presentation of the last balance-sheet, i the finances had been improved till all j liabilities had been wiped off, and a credit balance left without encroaching , upon next year's income. The work of i the Mission, the report states, is steadily increasing, its missionary is always at work, if not" in the city, pioneering in the country. The number of poor in Auckland it is asserted is increasing- at an alarming rate, and the committee ask for the co-operation of all the churches for more help. Mr D. Macpherson, the city missionary, in his report of' work done by the Mission during the past eighteen months, says:— "I will first, touch on the work in the prison. There are now about 270 male and 25 female prisoners, and although all these people are engaged In building, sufficient accommodation cannot be provided for the numbers who come in. Most of these are strong, active men, who could easily have found work had they wished.' I notice that after a man has been iv prison three or four times he does not care to work outsides: besides, the difficulty of getting work after they have lost ithelr character is \ T ery great, their life in prison Is easy, and the result is that they come back to the gaol. |It is very discouraging to help them; they make so many promises when they are in, and when they come out and are helped, In a short time they come back again, and when I speak to them and remind them of their promises, they- say, 'Well, I could not get work, and I took to drink.' I think the treatment in prison is too easy and the sentences too long. The public have to pay to keep the people, but If they would make a sacrifice and be willing to employ them. It, would help to set the men'on their feet, aud encourage them to an honest life. But I do nnt fnrfrot thnl in m-iiir enses tliev

I do not forget that iv many cases they .. have had no home Influence to inspire them . to a respectable life. They are the ones ' for whom the Savionr died, and I still go J on doing what I can to help. { I will now say a few words about the J Hospital work. Monday is my visiting . day. I have two young ladies -from Knox ' Church who visit on Friday. YVe go from ( bed to bed. and speak a few cheery words j to each, and In many cases read a few , words and offer a short prayer. If we can ( help them In any way by writing letters j or delivering messages, we do so. PAs a s rule we have nearly 200 patients. I occasionally take them to and from the Hospital in my trap. At this season of the year there is a good deal of poverty. Owing to the wet weather many men are out of work, aud ' the widows and orphans that we leave to ' themselves in the summer months we try ' to help while the cold weather lasts. Most ' of those we help I know to be deserving, J hard working women, who are trying to ! bring, up their families respectably. I go J to them; they would not come to mc, I ; see what clothes the children want and I send a list to the ladies of Northcote and Devonport C.E.. and they make new, warm clothing. I take it to the needy, for which they are very grateful. I commenced the year with £11 6/7; during the year I received £1G G/4, making a total of £27 12At I spent during the year £23 r>/0, leaving a balance of ft 7/2. In addition to this 1 received boxes of left-off clothing, bags of flour, and sugar from the country, principally Paeroa. I also receive largo' parcels of clothing"frOm different persons about' I town, and I distribute them, to the best I ndvantage. Ido not draw the line at PresI byterlans, or closely question the people I when they come during the winter. I i j the men who want beds and meals to the ; Salvation Army Home In Wellesley-strcet, j and call and pay for them every few weeks. I I am allowed to draw on a gentleman for j groceries, and two bakers allow mc to get stale bread, so that I am in a position to help any needy person. The money has been spent in beds, meals, food, firing, passages, blankets, and llannel. Two tea merchants give mc as much tea as I want YVhen I get the proceeds from the different harvest festivals during the summer, 1 take them to all the benevolent institutions and to all the poor I can reach. I regularly visit the Costley Home, Epsom. I have n young lady from St. Andrew's who Y'islts alternately, so that we keep up a weekly visitation. There are not so many females at present—only 35 — but I cannot speak to? highly of the cleanliness and comfort of the institution. There

nness ano comiorr. oi rue institution, xnere are 150 men, and I hear very few complaints. ' I will now say a word about the Mental Hospital. I have now charge of the spiritual work. Mr Shalders, who had charge for 30 years, was getting too old, so Dr. Beattle and lie decided I should take charge, to which my committee consented, i so I draw up a list each quarter, and each < denomination takes a Sunday. The Gov- ' ernment provides a bus. I take my turn, and at other times fill a gap. I visit pri- i vately through the week, and go from ward to ward, through every yard, and speak a ' kindly word to each patient. Although ' there are GOO patients, there is very little ' disorder, and they are treated with the ' greatest kindness; every place is serupu- : lously clean. I visit the ships on Sunday morning when not engaged, and invite sailors and officers to church. I meet the passenger steamers. ' Those which came last month brought a number of 3?rcsbyterians. 1, along with I Mr Bxackenrig and the Committee from the j Ministers' Association, manage the spiritual work of the Sailors' Home. A number of ladles and gentlemen attend on Friday and ; Sunday nights. I have had a good many funerals from the public institutions, as well as from non-church-goers. We have' a number of sick ones all over the city, whom I visit as often as I can. I am still conducting the Mission In Parnell in the interests of St. Andrew's, and am trying to work up a mission in; Gladstone-road on Thursday nights. 1 have visited the lapsed ones in the different districts, and have found out some new people. These have all been pressed to attend church. In conclusion, I would thank Mr ,T. Jowitt, Mr J. Bell. Miss Foster. Miss Mueller, Miss Clark, and all those who have \in any way, by their sympathy and gifts, helped on the Mission, and thus encouraged' mc In my work."