ORPHAN HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14048, 30 April 1909, Page 7

ORPHAN HOME.

\ : THE ANNUAL MEETING. The .49th annual mooting of the Orphan Home Trust Board was hold in the Church of England Diocesan Office yesterday afternoon, Mr. W. F. Massey, M.P., presiding. A fair number of subscribers attended. '

The annual report stated that the new:,;:; buildings, of which the foundation stone- _■ '•.■;; was laid by the : Governor, in December, 1907, were practically completed at , the end of March, 1909, and the staff and children : ; wore moved to I'a.patoitoi ■ on : the , Ist. of the present month, thus terminating, the occupation of the home in Parnell, extending over some 45 years, on the last day of the financial year. There were 58 children in residence on April 1, 1908; 14 had been admitted during the year and 8 had left; leaving the present number at 64 (30 boys and 54 girls). The report of the hon. Ji. medical officer recorded a continuance of- * ' ■ the excellent health enjoyed by the children :j; in the home. The progress of the children had '.been satisfactory, and it was hoped that the greater facilities afforded by the new schoolhouse, with its improved'equip- ■.■■■.■ iment, would secure even better results in. ,v the future. The thanks of the Board were due to the Rev. H. Reeve for conducting a weekly Scripture class during the past year, which had been of great, benefit to the children. The Rev. H. Mason had kindly offered to - continue the same at Papatoitoi. The board again had much pleasure in reporting that the home had .' been thoroughly well managed by ' the .':■'-, matron, Miss : Wignall, and the school by Miss C.Dinneen, The ordinary income for the.past year arising from interest on • investments and payments for maintenance ' had been £1483 19s 2d, and the total ex-; penditure on the home in Parnell £1283 10s : lid, the, former being £27 18s 5d greater, and the latter £29 12s 6d less, .than the * previous year. The average cost per child had been £21 2s 7d, as against £22 7s for 1907-8. The advance in the rate of interest : ;; in the Dominion during the last year had enabled the Board to raise the rate charged for loans, which had materially increased the income from this source. The new building account showed > a total expenditure on land, improvements, and buildings to March 31, 1909, of £14,928 4s Bd, and there were accounts still duo of between. £700 and £800. The building fund had been accumulating for several years, and amounted to £7358 15s lid, which included £2383 6s in subscriptions and donations, £1000 from an anonymous donor, £1000 from the : late Archdeacon S. Williams, £250 Government grant, and £1215 2s insurance received for loss by fire in Parnell, together with £1510 7s lid balances transferred and accrued interest. The balance for the completion of the present buildings had been prowled from the invested funds; and the- ■■■' bequest of £500 from Mrs. Knox, not yet received, and a further grant, of £250 promised by the Government, would meet the additional disbursements mentioned above. The board had every reason to be well .satisfied with the manner- in which Mr. C. J. Brook had carried out the work of the new buildings, and in order that the friends of the institution may be able to judge for themselves, of the completeness'•-. and . effi- . ciency of the Orphan Homo buildings as designed by Mr. G. S. Goidsbro', the hon. architect, and of the nature of tho interior fittings and general arrangement made by the board, a formal dedication and opening of the home at Papatoitoi ould take placeon Saturday, May 1. In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, the chairman said that ho thought all those present, would agree with him that matters in general in connection with tho home were in a particularly satisfactory condition. It seemed to him _ that it reflected a very great deal of credit oil all those who were entrusted with the management of the Home. There was one fact r . in particular that, ho thought worth mentioning, and that was that out of between > - six and seven hundred ' children who had passed through the home there had been only four deaths. He also spoke favourably of the new homo at Papatoetoe. The site waa an admirable one and the new buildings wore handsome and imposing. He was > also very glad to notice that there had been a fairly satisfactory response from the public in connection with expenses. - * The report and balance-sheet . were adopted without discussion. Messrs. W. R. Holmes ami W. Stericker were re-elected'auditors for the ensuing year, and last year's elective members of the board were re-elected for next rearMessrs. T. Charter, C. Hay. C. J. Tanks', F. T. Ward. E. Yates, and Major Morrow. Votes of thanks to the Ladies' Comniitteft c- ! and tho chairman terminated tbe proceedings- ' •■ :y(Cr^<\f : 'i\ ; ;^('^}^^M