A GOOD RECORD

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 74, 28 March 1930, Page 13

A GOOD RECORD

♦ WORK FOR SAILORS .Proof of the excellent work done for I seafarers by the Wellington branch of the British Sailors' Society is given in the following summary of the hospitality extended to sailors by the branch during the past year:—Number of men visiting voomsj 20,077; ships visited, 697; seamen taken for picnics, 402; refreshments provided for men visiting rooms, 18,470; number of men attending Sunday services, 2875; beds and breakfasts provided for distressed seamen, 570; men attending Sunday teas, 2136. In addition to these services parcels of magazines and books, hand ' rags, etci, had been provided for ships leaving on the homeward voyage. Letters posted for seamen totalled 9498, and a large number of letters had been readdressed, etc., and writing materials provided free. Money orders were obtained for seamen and forwarded to wives, mothers, etc. The hospital had been visited two or three times a week, and comforts taken to the men there. Social evenings had been held twice a week and on all holidays, and concerts were held regularly for the men in port. Free refreshments had been provided for the men every night and thanks were due to all who had made this work possible. Mr. C. £>. Morpeth, in his remarks as chairman at last night's annual meeting of the branch, mentioned that subscriptions were the weakest point of the society's finance. The society had been at work for long years and deserved better support than had been given it by the people of Wellington. The work of the society during the year had been carried out very well on both social and religious sides, and although the society had dropped the "foreign" from its title, it was still prepared to receive its brethren from parts of the world other than the British Empire. This had been proved by the many pleasant visits made to the clubrooms by the French and German sailors from.the Tourville and Emdeu.