PATIENTS AND PRISONERS’ AID SOCIETY

Evening Star, Issue 16347, 13 February 1917, Page 7

PATIENTS AND PRISONERS’ AID SOCIETY

Mr Justice Sim, president of the 1 atients and Prisoners’ Aid Society, occupied the chair at the 59th annual'meetnig, held in the Town Hall yesterday afternoon. Fifty members were* present. As is usual, the meeting began with prayer. Mr Duncan Wright, City missionniy, asked for the Divine blessing or the society. e —ITio Report.— A summary ot the report has appeared Ui our" columns. Hie President moved the. adoption of the report and balance-sheet. The society might ho said, be congratulated on having had another successful voar, and also on the fact that their chaplain and agent, -Mr I'. G. Gumming, had returned from His wed-earned holiday quite restored to health and able to resume his duties. Inarms to the generosity of one of our citizens, _ Mr Gumming was now the posit -£! i l 01 11 motor bicycle, so ! iis mobility in the field of battle was increased, and no had.been aide to undertake the varied services referred to in the report. It to. ti:: factory to nota that tho report icioired to the assistance of a number ot workers. The expenditure was about AiU more than the receipts. In view of the calls made on the public at this time* [oat. result might be regarded as sutisiactory. ine Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark) seconded tho motion. For dose upon 40 vears this society had continued to work silently unostentatiously to uplift men and women. 'J here could bo. no doubt whatever as to the success that had attended mo society, '] hat success was due to two Flings. First. tho high ideals sot up, in -ee’.mrr to h-ln and uplift sodotv through the individual. It urns bettor to get hold mnai.-uiuals than to trv to influence the masses at once. In the hospitals uni asylums and other institutions this work amongst individuals had been acceptable and successful—easing the bed of nr in giving a word of cheer, and lending i kdpmg hand when the patient camo out—and, more important, perhaps, takiim by the hand those who had fallen in° the struggle of life and putting them on the path in which they could lead use Til l.vru-■l-hen, again, the success of the soemtv was largely owing to good fortune in the seketmn ot_ agents. Mr J. A. Torrance, tae Kcv. E. A. Axelsen. and Mr F Gi Camming were all highly qualified’ f-.r tins won;. He felt quite sure that everyone who knew the society could be counted a* a v/eliwisher.

Di Rutaenord Waddell spoke to tlm motion. It was gratifying to see the so” cietv supported by private and tjuhlic svmpathy. Rerhaps the meet gratifying thing in the report was the reference to Mr Cummings restoration to health. His work was of an exacting character, and it was no wonder that his health gave mv he must not overtax his strength amain, lest the society should suffer. It wa./i onto years since he (Dr Waddell) brought betore the society the question of the indeterminate sentence. The proposal was —he would :»ot say coldly received; but it was received with great caution. Tile S Pf-?t eiS P t!lc meeti,l g were somewhat cl.lndent about such a radical change, Now that d was in operation he felt sure—and he thought His Honor would bear him out —aiat it had acted benelicially, to sc me a ur S k though the society commanded public sympathy, he was not sure that all that could and should be done was bciim none. The sighing of the prisoner did not always manage to make its wav out More consideration should be given by the general public to the men and women who wore behind the bars. It was well, therefore, to have a society of this kind, so ns to in some degree meet the case. A great portion of the people went on with their games and amusements, and only now and again did we see any movement indicating a knowledge of trouble and distress. Ue should give more heed than we are doing to the reformation of the criminal. It would pay, even in money, to do so. A very largo amount was spent in carrying out punishment for the suppression of ciiine. there was in the records the case of a woman whose 834 descendants had cost the State £250,€00. Of course, tnat was an extreme case, but the administration of the Jaw was always costly. And ""e should be influenced also by humanitarian considerations. All were more or less responsible for creating an atmosphere which makes crime possible and easy. ]t has been said that every community has the crimimUs it deserves to have. Those who (gather up the waste products of life the genuine saviours of the State. The motion was put and carried. —-Acknowledgments.

Mr John Roberts, G.M.G-., unwed — “ That a heartv vote of thanks ho accorded to the ladies and gentlemen who have as.? is ted the society in connection with their services in the several institutions; to the collectors, for their valuable assistance ; to the churches, who have given liberal donations; and friends who have given employment to persons who have been recommended by the agent; ami to the officers of the several institutions for assistance rendered. And. further, that the Patients and Prisoners’ Aid Society’s work is worthy of sympathy and support.” The moved said that, while the first part of the motion would command tho hearty approval of everybedv. the latter part seemed to open up a somewlv large field. He suggested to Mr Cummin - that as the gaol was now removed hi., work would largely cease, lha; v.r; in ■ first view of tho matter. Mr CTr.nru;: however, pointed out that, though the Dunedin Gaol was dosed, the wives and families were still here, and they were tho persons who required attention during the time the husbands were incarcerate.i. That was the answer. Mr Cummin? sin! had plenty of work to do, and as / e had now also yoked himself up with the Waitati Home and Lamach’s place, no would be additionally busy. But he was jin t the man to wisely administer the society’s functions.

Dr Bowie, in seconding the motion, said that during his stay in Dunedin he had seen something of the society’s work in the Hospital, and it appeared to him to be a very Christlike work. The dealing of the agent with the patients was full of- sympathy. He was a man of considerable judgment in his dealings with patients. It was his (Dr Bowie’s) duty to send patients to convalescent homos when necessary, and in this duty ho came into contact with Mr Gumming. Such cases were often pitiful. A mother is suddenly stricken with acute disease, and has to go to the. Hospital for treatment. When convalescent she goes back tn her home and is received by joyous children and a proud husband. She at once starts to make and mend and clean up and do all that is needed to make things right in the house, and winds up by breaking down again and being forced to return to the Hospital. That sort of thing goes on again and again, until at last tin woman becomes a chronic invalid. Tim society did good work in sending such women for a spell in the country, as soon us they could leave the Hospital, so as t>' gain strength before taking un home duties. It was work which supplemented th-> doctors’ work. Moreover, the visits to the wards were, aidful. Patients had asked him not to shoo an intruding sparrow out of the Hosnital ward ; its movements and its chirping relieved the monotony, they said. How much more of a relie. must it be to hoar words of hone and cheer from a wise visitor. Surgeryami drugs were not the only moans of restoring health. The motion was carried. —The President.— Mr G. L. Denniston moved and Mr D. E. Theomin seconded the re-election of Mr-Justice Kim as president. This was carried amidst applause, and His Honor thanked the mover and the seconder and the members, saying that he viewed the position as an honor, and that ho took a great interest in the society, and would do all he could to forward the work. —Other Office-bearers.— Mr W. C. MacGregor, K.C., moved that the following gentlemen be the officebearers for the ensuing year ;—Vice-pre-sidents, Mr E. E. C. Quick and Mr Geo. Fenwick; hon. treasurer. Colonel E. E. Prnit-h: hon. secretary, Mr W. L. Logie: committeemen—Messrs H. Y. Widdowson, S.M., Peter Barr, W. Downio Stew-

art, M.P., J. M. Gallaway, D. E. Thcomin, G. L. Denniston, F. Z. Moore, Waller Gow, A. S. Paterson, G. R. Ritchie, Robt. Gilkison, H. H. Driver, Walter Bull, T. Somerville, and C. W. Chamberlain. The mover remarked that it was satisfactory to find so many good men prepared to give their time* and talents to the work.

The Rev. W. A. Fay seconded the motion, and in doing so said that he liked the imperative demand “ Your contribution is due.” It was a business-like call to_ duty that accorded with the stern spirit of the times. This motion was also carried. —The Chairman, of Committee.—

Mr George Fenwick, called upon to say a tew words, expressed his pleasure at seeing such a large attendance at the annual meeting. It showed that tho people took areal interest in the society. Mr Fenwick also said that just before going to the he visited Lieutenant Down: o fcitowart, who previous to enlisting had acted as hon. secretary, and found him cheerful arid apparently improving, though still ill n.s tho result of his services in the field. As to Dr Colqnhoun’s proposal to get precise information as to the number of epileptic children in the Dominion, tnis as a first flop towards doing scunotmng in tin matter, the committee had commenced to investigate, ' but found themselves _ somewhat blocked, for the Minister, whilst sympathetic, pointed out that this was not the. time to add to our institutions. ,Su tno matter was in abeyance until the war ended. —Tho Agent’s Remarks.— Mr F. G. Gumming (the society’s agent) said that during the pest year *2Ol cases had been dealt with from the Diuiouni Hospital, of whom 74 had been sent to convalescent- homes in the country. The society's th. eo invalid chairs for* Lading out were never Kim, and in the cumin* "mu- it_ might be noccssary to add two mote. The expanses incurred in these 201 ca3f?3 came to mostly drawn ironi a fund not really under tho control of the Patients and Lnsmcrs’ Aid Society. No tower than 215 services were held. a nd ait cases were ucint, wim «unng uiu past Jr fuiilhs. No was helped ( dl -c----tical inquiry had been made. In those days it was criminal to give menu - to anybody without investigation. He expressed Ids great gratitude to Mr Justice turn, to tho chairman uf committee (Mr renv.iej.;), and to the h-m, treasurer (M--L. it-, bmiihj for [heir courteous assistance and novice, and to the committee lor giving him such a free hand to work m t-noir name.