PRISONERS' AID SOCIETY.

Evening Star, Issue 7331, 1 October 1887, Page 2

PRISONERS' AID SOCIETY.

After we w'eflt yesterday. j Dr Stuart, iri "moving the adoption of the report, said it was a matter for congratulation that ojv.gao), our hospital, asylums, as regards"cleanliness, discipline, and accommodation, were not only in«a passable but in a very praiseworthy cpndit'on; and it was a matter of satisfaction to' him that the chief officers and staff were in sympathy with the objects of this Society.—(Hear, .hear.-) • He hearcLMr, Torrance state that he received the utmost Kindness and support at their necessarjr.for him to.fefer to, the manner in which Mr : Torrance : disdhSr(fedEisd.tttjes.j H* brought to his Wor.kj.the year round, zeal, discretion, and great kindness. - (Hear, hear.) He (Dr Stuart) was proud to say that the efforts of Mr Torrance were not without success. But it was naturally asked: '* How comes it that in a new oountry, with plenty, of elbow-room, so mftny tfoUng people should turn aßlde to the ways of sin f" He had oome to this conclusion —that in Dnnediu,B{t all events, there was the greatest difficulty in getting employment for young people between the ages of thirteen and seventeen.; The fact, was that at about thirteen years of age a number of young people got quite sick of school. Sorrid' "of 'them, who perhaps were a little dull or careless, failed to pasß the standards. They then refused to go back to school to be put back with their juniors, but walked about the streets in the hope of getting employment. The common result, however, was that they picked up acquaintances who often led them into trouble. For himself, he did not know very well how we were to get' dvflt this increasing difficulty of want of employment in Dunedin. Walking through the streets he saw crow'ds of lads who were buit'e fit to go to work, and to. whom r work would be a meanß of #ra&,,bttt t.hey Couldn.pt find employment.: He sometimes found himself saying—"God have mercy upon these poor lads and tbelr poor mothers, for he had an idea that this difficulty of getting employment was the chief cause of a number of young folks getting into trouble, crime, and into very bad ..ways...He hopeq our business men in Dunedin and our politicians would just leave'theories to themselves for a term, and see how they could devise means for finding employment for our young people-rbotli; boys and girls—that are growing up in our midst. It would not be supposed that he undervalued Mr Torrance's religious services, as he priued those services vcfry highly. He was confident, tliat they were carried on without any sectarianism or narrowness being imported into them.—(Hear, hear.) He regretted that the income of the Society this jear was somewhat under the average, and that owing to that the salary of the Society's agent had been reduced. He hoped the Committee next year would be in a position to pay his full salary. It was pleacant to notice that many of the country churches were in sympathy with the Society, and be hoped that the churches in town and countiy. would see that the Society was not crippled in the blessed work it contemplated and was fairly carrying on foi want of funds. Mr J. Rbid seconded the motion, which was carried.: '. A -. /.. ■

The following gentlemen were elected officebearers:—Mr Justice Williams (president), the Hon. T. Dick (vice-president), Mr W. Hislop (treasurer), and Messrs G. Fenwick, E. Quick, W. D Stewart, A. Rcnnie, R. Chisholm, H. Kirkpatrick, A. G. Paterson, A. Barr, and C. Moore (Committee).

Mr W. D. StKWART mentioned that the salary of the secretary had been, reduced at the secretary's own request. The fact was that owing to the financial position of the Soc'ety Mr Torrance had recommended that his salary sheuld be reduced by a large amount, and it had been with reluctance that the Committee consented to the reduction that had b en made. He hoped the Society would be more prosperous during tho coming year, and that the secretary, would be paid the salaty ho; had formerly received. ! The Rev. Mr GIBD moved-"That : the Patients' and Prisoners' Aid Society is deserving of the hearty sympathy and liberal support of the public, both in town and country, arid that this meeting would bespeak from coon try friends especially their aid to Mr Torrance in finding suitable employment for such discharged patients and prisoners as ; may b'e recommended to them." A good many were Sometimes heaped upon the churches and ordinary citizens on the ground that they did not take a very deep interest in tho condition of such persons as the Patients' and Prisoners' Aid Society looked after, but le't the work mainly to such organisations as the Salvation Army. There might be some truth in such statements, but he believed there was not to much foundation for them as people sometimes made l out. Nevertheless, he had no doubt that much more could be done even in these depressed times, for it was a great pity to see the Society not indeed perishing, but hardly pressed, for want of funds. He regretted that it should have been necessary to reduce the by no means magnificent income of the agent of the Society by the large sum of L4O, and hoped the be paid next year. The lattenporlion of: the resolution was very important, and he hoped that friends in the country would do all they could to find employment for the people recommended to them by M< Torrance ; for he did not know that any work that Mr Torrance did was of more importance [than that of finding employment for discharged patients and prisoners. He hoped that great attention would be paid to the request in the latter part of the resolution. Mr A. BARR formally seconded the motion. The Rev. Mr BoKrlk Was quite satisfied that unless something practical Was undertaken, the Society would not be in a much better position at the end of next year that it was at the end of this. A greatdeal.more. niight be done by the Committee in the way of bringing the claims of the Society before the public. He was satisfied that the daily Press would throw their columns 'open to anyone Who -would advocate the claims of the Society. Then there should be'more earnest efforts for organising collections, as the success of the Society depended very largely upon that. The Rev. Mr Gibb said that before the resolution was put he would like to say that it would be an exceedingly good thing if the churches in the City would give a' oollectioii'to the Society. He thought he could undertake that his congregation would contributefa'collection this year. The motion was carried. The Rev. Mr Northj moved meeting accord a hearty vote of, thanks fc the clergymen and lay friends in town and oopntry who, by self.denyiqg labor, have helped to provide the Committee with the necessary funds, and to the friends iwho:hßiVe assisted the agent and in any way aided in the Society's work, and' would bespeak the like disinterested assistance duiingthe ensuing year." j Mr Duncan Wright seconded the motion, which was carried. ■