RESCUE WORK IN AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10127, 9 May 1896, Page 5

RESCUE WORK IN AUCKLAND.

A grand sacked CONCERT and public raseting, in the interests of the rescue and benevolent work carried on by Sister Francis, and the members of the Helpiug Hand Mission, was held at the Choral Hall last night. His Worship the Mayor (Mr. J. J. Holland) presiding. There were a large number of ladies and gentlemen interested in rescue work on the platform, amongst the number beinsr the Hon. W. Jennings, W.Orowther.M.H.R., Miss Lilian Ed»er (president of the Auckland Rescue Society), Canon Nelson, the Rev, J, Crump, the Rev. W. A. Sinclair (superintendent of the Mission), Mr. Henry Wilding, Mr. W. H. Smith, and Mr. A. C. Brown. The raised platform at the back of the hall was occupied by the school children of the Mission, numbering between two and three hundred, while the body of the hall and gallery were packed to the utmost capacity. Proceedings were opened with the ohorus "Not alone in grandeur swelling," after which the Rev. W. A. Sinclair led in prayer. The rev. gentleman also read apologies from Rabbi Goldstein, the Revs. MoNiccoh Larkins, Blakie, Vealie, Dowsbnry, and Messrs, Cooper, Smeeton, and others. His Worship the Mayor, in his opening remarks, referred to the deserving character of the work the Helping Hand Mission, and Sister Francis in particular, purposed taking in hand, &ud to the valuable assistance rendered by that body in rescue work since its inception. The object in view was to establish a night refuge and home for friendless and fallen women, to be worked on I self-supporting lines if possible. The need of such an institution was undoubtedly patent to all, and more particularly to those _ directly engaged in reeoue work in this city, and as its establishment and conduct could not be carried on without funds, the meeting had been called for tho purpose of ventilating the matter and obtaining financial aid. No doubt all present were in sympathy with the movement, and he would ask them to evidence their sympathy in a substantial manner, by rendering all monetary assistance within their power. _ Stater Francis, who is taking an active interest in the rescue movement, in connection with 'he Helping Hand Mission delivered an instructive address on her rescue work in Sydney and Melbourne during the past five years, and made an earnest apnea! to those preseut to assist the mission workers iu their present undertaking. Already much good had been done in Auckland by Mrs. Cowie, the Salvation Army, the Helping Hand Mission, and other kindred societies in alleviating the sufferings and raising fallen Women, but the cases were so multitudinous that chore was ample scope for the work they purposed undertaking. With the object of helping those women and the large number of young girls in our midst, a home had been purchased in elleslcy-street, which would be immediately fitted up as a shelter for persons of the class mentioned. The name of the home would be, she said, the " Boor of Hope." Mr. A. 0. Brown, the secretary of the rescue and benevolent work of the Helping Hand Mission, stated that the home had been purchased at a cost of £300, towards whioh the Mission friends had subscribed £132 4s, outside friends £35 12a, making a total of £167 16s, and he appealed to the audience to subscribe towards the balance so that the Home might be opened with the purchase money paid up. The meeting was also addressed by Miss Lilian Edger, M.A., president of the Auckland Rescue Society, Mr. Henry Wilding. founder of the Society tor the Protection of Women and Children, the Hon, W. Jennings, M.L.0., and Mr. W. Crowther, M.H.R. A splendid programme of musical and other items was rendered, in whioh the following ladies and gentlemen assisted: —Misses Conolly, Alice Rimmer, Nixon, J. Miller, Messrs. Wells, Higgott,Ngats. M.A., Astley, the Rev. A. Mitchell, and the orchestra under Mr. ( Matbeeon. Mr. James Culpan made an efficient conductor. Misses Conolly and Beoroft and Mr, Wells played the accompaniments. The sum of meney raised at the conoert by the sale of tickets and collections was about £75 so that only some £57 now remains te be raised to open the house free of debt,