SAMARITAN HOME.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13009, 10 January 1908, Page 5

SAMARITAN HOME.

• MEETING OF VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTORS.

A meeting of the voluntary contributors to the Samaritan Homo iv-ae held last night, when Mr Bridge proI sided. Tho Chairman read the annual rej port, which, after giving a history ot ' tho -work of tho year, expressed flo- ; gret at Mrs Dunlclcy haying to resign, owing to the Rev. Mr Dunk Icy leaving town. Mrs' Dunkley had ?x>en connected with tho institution c?inco its inception. and had worked most i jpoalously in it.s interests. The insti- , tut ion had been gazetted in March j last a.s an institution for the reception ! and detention of inmates under tho ' Habitual Drunkards Act. Sixteen perJ sons had been committed to the Homo. j under the Act—eight men and eight j women—all for the full term of two ! years. The women ixMonged to tho ; same class that the Home had been ■dealing with nil along, but the jn?a were of a different ebiss to those who had boon in the Hume before. They were all ot them able-bodied men. in I the prime of life, some of them fairly j well off. and their only failing npl>earcd to be drink, ami l>otwecu whiles they were" hard-wot-king. respectable, members of the community. Aji increasing diHkivlty was , the finding of homes for the babies. iSi.ster Marion I reporting that it wa.s almost impos- ' siblo to find homes, all the most euiti able women declining to take charge of j the children. Possibly, now that tho j supervision of the- homes tinder the (infant Life Protection Act had been i transferred from the Department ot (justice to that of Education, the diflii eiilty might begin to lessen. If the propowd new Hospital and Charitablo ! Aid Institutions Bill was passed, as I dratted, it would mean the extinction of th-e Samaritan Home as a separate institution, aj» it would pas* into the control of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board of die district, which would decide whether it wa* expedient to continue the Home, and might, subject to I the approval of the Minister, closo it, ! making provision for the dTcrtribution of the inmates among other institutions of the district. Provision was also made in the Kill for tho incorporation of separate institutions, but as there ivas no provision for raising funds throughout the .district, it-would

bo quite impossible to carry on this ■work. The various Boards had boon J invited to make suggestions regarding ' th« Bill, and it was tniderstoofl th.jt a ! conference would l>o held in-Wellington to discuss tliw question. During tho j-e.ar the sura requisitioned from the Charitable Aid Hoard had been £3j(). being £.30 than in the preceding year. The amount obtained from contributions for the yi'ar had been £113. Tho inmat-os' earnings, including niain■iMiance. had bcoTi £80. Tho total ac!-)ii.--sions to tho Home during the yoar :.nd been o2 men, 75 women, and MO infants. The discharge.! had boon ~)i men, 71 women, and 10 infants. The average number in tho Homo at any one time had been 19 men,-21 woman, and G infants. Reference- wa« ruado to tho resignation of Mr and regret expressed at the loss of his services, which had been most zoalous. Tho report was adopted. Mrs Wilson was ro-olected to represent tho voluntary contributors. Mr Winny moved —"That in the opinion of this meeting of voluntary, contributors, the Trustees of the Homo should be represented at the Conk'renoo proposed to be lield. , ' Mr Henderson seconded the motion, which was agreexl to. The- Chairman moved —"That this meeting of voluntary contributor* dtv sims to place on record its high appreciation of tho services rendered by Mr Sorensen to tho Home, and its regret at tho circumstances which led to.lns retirement." Mr Henderson seconded the motion, and said he regretted very much that any feeling should have arisen between their late chairman and tho matron. (He was not one of "ie Trustees, ami therefore did not know the circumstances, but ho was somewhat surprised to find that the Trustees had not supported Mr Sorcnsen. The motion Avas then put and agreed to.