MEETINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12544, 11 April 1904, Page 3

MEETINGS.

•• DISCHARGED PRISONERS' AID

SOCIETY.

The quarterly meeting of the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society was held, at the diocesan office on Friday last, the Rot. ; G.'i Ma'unsell in the chair. The balance-sheet for 1903 showed a credit balance of £1 la Bd.' Details were given of a number of discharged: prisoners who had been assisted, some ef whom are known to be doing well. Attention was drawn to an important part ©f the work, viz., that of giving aid to the wives and families of men undergoing imprisonment. Unanimous approval was given to the Premier's scheme for placing social outcasts and prisoners who are lacking in physical and mental .strength upon farms, where they would be away from temptation and able to support themselves. The results of the Waiotapii (prison) experiment are considered to be, on the whole, successful. The following sums have been received :Mrs. Clarke, 10s; Wade Sunday-school, per Mr. T. Leigh, £1 Is. Contributions may be sent to the hon. secretary (Rev. E. C. Budd), Carlton Gore Road, Auckland.

MOUNT ALBERT ROAD BOARD. The ordinary meeting of the Mount Albert Road Board was held on Friday. Present: Messrs. Kerr-Taylor (chairman), McLean, Ellisdon. The water loan: Referring to the necessity of taking a poll to legalise the raising of a loan of £1508 additional to the £16,000 water loan already authorised, Mr. Ellisdon said lie had consulted the Board's solicitors, Messrs. Nicholson and Gribhin, who had sent in an opinion which stated that the question was open to considerable doubt, but they were inclined to the opinion that, the Board could raise the amount without taking a poll by a special order after the liability had actually been incurred. Unpaid, rates: The cleric (Mr. H. C. Haselden), under advice of the Auditor-General, obtained authority from the Board to write off old irrecoverable rates to the amount of £5 10s Bd. Mr. McLean hoped that the clerk would not allow the rates to remain unpaid in the future so as to become irrecoverable. Mr. Maselden said he had just prosecuted 48 defaulting ratepayer!-—all that lie could find. Mr. McLean: Now you must sue on the property of ' the others. Mr. Haselden having received instructions agreed to take this course. Finances : Mr. Haselden, in forecasting the annual balance-sheet, anticipated credit balances as follows: of JiiViv Zealand, £251 4s (including contractors' deposits, £230) ; lean account No. 1 (drainage rate account), £378 15s; Auckland Savings Bank (recreation reserve aceeouut), £6 3s Id; drainage loan account, £73 10s 3d; water loan, £64 lis 6d: total, about £774. Accounts amounting to £1761 10s lOd were passed for payment.

WAIHI SCHOOL COMMITTEE. \ At the monthly meeting of the Waihi;' School Committee, held on Friday night, 1 the question of a septic tank for the school; was discussed, and it was thought that this matter should claim the immediate ..tten-, tion of the new committee. The secretary) suggested the holding of a concert as at means of raising the necessary money. Th» secretary reported that he has not _ et re*l ceived a reply from the Premie* in regard' to an application for a new building for the secondary school classes, to replace the present old ami dilapidated structure. A' rough draft of the annual report was submitted by the secretary and approved. ST. JOHN'S AMBULANCE SOCIETY. At the meeting of the Executive Committee of St. John's Ambulance Association on Friday, Mr. J. J. Holland presiding, it was decided to station an Ashfbrd litter at Mr. Ardern's ironmonger's store. Upper Symondsstreet, and another at the Mount RoskilF Fire Brigade station. Arrangements are also being made to place a litter at His Majesty's Arcade. It was also resolved to remove tho litter at present at Mr. Hutchison's store, Ponsonby, and place it at the fire brigade station, St. Mary's Road. Tho secretary of the Hospital and CharitableAid Board wrote asking that a committee of the association should confer with tho Finance Committee in connection with the ambulance waggon. The committee decided to appoint the following deputation from the association: Dr. A. O. Knight, Messrs. .T. J. Holland, Roaehe, Ttinks, and Pilkington. THEOSOPHY. Last evening, in the rooms of the Auckland branch of the Theosophieal Society, Mr. B. Kent lectured to a good audience on "The Greatest Thing Ever Known." . Mr. Kent gave his lecture in the form of a series of -pictures, searching through all forms of earthly wealth, of the pleasures of tho senses, of the intellect, of art or of science for "The Greatest Thing Ever Known," which, lie said, was* not to be found in any of these, but only in coaling near to the heart of nature and of nature's God. Some discussion followed.