THE DUNEDIN REFUGE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3686, 27 November 1873, Page 7

THE DUNEDIN REFUGE.

Beyond being aware of its existence, we doubt whether the bulk of the inhabitants of Uunedin possess much regarding 'the Dunedin Refuge, and the work it is •doing., j Some account,, therefore, of its present condition and prospects may not;. be -without interest. We may begin by recalling "to the recollection of our readers the fact that the first active step towards establishing •Homo for the reclamation of erring women ■was taken on the 16th April last, when the matter was discussed at a meeting of ladies called to consider it, and when the: organisation necessary to give effect to their resolves was formed. Some \ difficulty was , «*cperienced at the outset in obtaining a suitable site and building.;;, Mr W. J. M. Xarnach, as we noted at the time, very liberally offered the Ladies' Committee a site «rathe Peninsula, but the distance of the land from town, which would have prevented the ladies from superintending the conduct •of the Refuge as closely as was desirable, caused them reluctantly to decline! the geneious offer. At length the.choice 01 the Committee fell upon a house;and a piece of ground in Forth street, overlooking Pelichet Say. Although conveniently''situated, the Jbouse, as we shall have occasion to remark more than once, is much .too small for the purpose to which it is now devoted, and so one can be more alive to ;fchis fact than are the members of the - Committee. They have been obliged to fix upon it as Jbeing the best they could obtam with the means at their command, and they hope "that before long the benevolence of the public will enable them to effect the enlargement ■which is so urgently required.-The! purchase «rf thei house and -land belonging ;to it was effected for £600, and the greater portion of 4hi3 sum still remains as a debt • upon the "undertaking. Having obtained a. house, the Committee next sought for a Matron, and «fter due consideration of tho applications appointed Mrs Snadden to the post. Mrs Snadden has had a number-of years' ex--perzsnce in the Dunedin Hospital,' and the. -training she has there cannot but jprore of Value in the;discharge : of dutiesrequiring in an eminent degree the exercise of *he (qualities of gentleness, firmness, and patience. '. , '

"33ie preliminary preparations being thus' completed, and the Refuge having been_ren- . tiered ready to receive inmates j it was opened on or about the Ist .June last, quietly and "unobtrusively,' without any «eremony.- Since then it has been; fulfilling its purpose in the same manner—with what time alone will show. . At the ontset •Hie number of inmates was two, but since 4then it has been increased, having reached as Mgh as eight j and'at the present ti^ne being 'fire. Eight is indeed the very utmost numl>er that the house can hold,--as!may be imagined when we- mention; that it con- ! Bists of only six small rooms, including the Irifcchen,, but. exclusive of the laundry, which has beenbuilt since the Refuge was opened. ' Thus number of inmates fluctuates; for as the establishment is conducted on thei principle of guidance, not,compulsion, any inmate may leave when-she pleases. When the former ' iiAifcsbf thesewdmenareremenibered, it is not surprising that the temptation to escape from supervision and restraint, however mild, should occasionally prove too powerful for ••■■: $heir control. The craving for drink, iripar- ■ iicnlar, is a great obstacle in the way of their reclamation. The two original ; inmates, .-■■•;: hovevex, have steadfastly Teinained in the ■;. and have conducted themselves in a 3EBsmner ; whiclLgives rise to the hope thatthe JRefuge may yet prove to them a lastingblessing. At present the only occujmtions the -wromenare engaged* in are the washing, ironing, and mangling of clothes. Needlework 2*as alkb been performed for the public in the Jtefuge, which possesses a sewing machine, Imfcthe woman who was engaged in tuis work ias lately left. : the amount, of washing, Ac., received, is, however, sufficient to keep the inmates fully employed. The following axe the prices at which washing is done :— ■•■■'■*-•' ■■■' •■•'■■■] s. d. r .' • Washing and Mangling ... 1 6 ncr dozen "Washing and Ironing ... 2 0 per dozen 3%xesse3... ... .... fromO 6 each Petticoats ... ... from 0 3 each Quilts v, ... ... .from 0. 4 each Ulankets ... ... from 0- 6.each Muslin Curtains ... ... 10 per pair Shirts ... ••• ... 0 3 each '" Mangling ... .. „. 0 3 per dozen 35.8. AU linen sent should be legibly marked. If clothesmangled at the Refuge, have to Joe sent for or returned by the Refuge authontiee, an extra charge of Id per dozen is made. This is to defray the cost of carriage, alioy being employed for the purpose. The ladies' Committee are specially desirous of ■.-, xdceiring mangling,' as:it involves no expen- ■ "ditare for fuel, as washing -does; but it nmst not '•}. besupposed-ftpiri'this that ■washing'sent will not be welcqmecl. Ther " Jhranflry contains a mangle, apparently in.ex-, eellent condition, and five fine new washing ■arita. Outside there isample room for drying the clothes. "Last month the value of /&e needlework and; washing done was £8 * "ISa. TKis month, owing to the' departure of "Hie needlewouiatj, as already mentioned, the earnings will be less. ! : • Theiooms are kept clean1 and tidy, though, "their smallness is only too apparent;;'. In e»di*cf them a printed copy, of the Rules is f , 'jwaited 'fa&. the 'wall, f or. the' irifqrmation arid. " gtridanca of iieiamates. These Rules are as -Xtitownjhrii, o-i/^--, ,/..-■■- ..' ;■• ■■■■■■.: '■/• \': '■'"-'■'■ u:y: •* 1. Any woman-desirous of becoming an inmaie of the Refuge must apply, to the Matron on the premises, who will refer her «ase£otlie -members, of. ; Committee on duty ■ atihetime. ■■-'~ ,\:./..„.., , ' •** 2. No person shall be admitted unless she •undertakes to conform to the rules of the. Institution. -, v - . •• & Every inmate who leaves the Tnstitu-. *ii»/ iwithout the permissionof the Matron, tnH not be allowed to return. y; . • *C 4. Inmates will be required to rise at six ©"clock in Summer, and seven in Winter, and 4t>retire to bed at, half-past nine o'clock, .at; ■''■wftask iour lights shall be extinguished and -,-... doors locked. ,;. r. > ■■■~.-, •■■■.■>■.■>.■•..,-,;■' | ' u*f* 5,. All inmates are expected to work to Shelieat of their ability, and : ,tp- show cheerfal obedience to the commands of the, t M,ar ; , f1& .jMI the money, derived from the work, «ff.the Inmates shall be expended in support-,-ii^yttielnstitution; arid shoiild there be a, jmrpluß, it'will be applied for the benefit ol", . apodal cases amongst the • inmates. \ -*f 7." All immoral or bad language must be «wefully avoided, as yrell as all reference, to She past. '.!■.'V ' '"'" '■" "' '<. Inmates will be allowed to see their Srieads once in two mtonths, in presence of the Matron. They'ffiay also write t6 itheif friends •nee m three.mouthaj the letters to be read, directed,''iad sealed by the Matron. • '**19. Inmates are required to -attend prayers, anoraingand evening, and each one;wdl.be.. ■inigrared to* repeat a verse of Scripture'at' «re»ing prayers. , : . ** 10. Any woriian who conducts) herself ytwperly whilst at.the Inatitution.shsll, upon : leiTißg fora; sitwation or for any pthier satis- ' Hwctory ieaabn, be provided witji sufficient. cUdOuhx.; „ ."•■.;. ' ' "■",,-'■■•■;' ■'■»7-:'-.*-> si '-. '.' "• •'II...Any woriiari ; leaving the Institution, : WiaHio is found outside tnepremises with•Otleave from the Matron, wearing or having xnlter possession clothes the property of the '. Jjctstitutioii, may be arrested upon a charge of., ■. Jiicßny." . ■■• ".. •■ ■ *■> ■•■ ■'■'■■ -3&e food of the inmates is plentiful and -wholesome, though plain. For breakfast ■they nave porridge ; at 11 iii the .forenoon, ly-way «f flinch, they have bread and butter sad tea or coffee; dinner consists of meat of «3iffer<3it kinds on different days^ with pota- .':. *wes"and other vegetables, and; puddirig twice Mww&ii for tssa they have tea arid bread and ismSter. On Siuidajjs, instead of porridge, ihey have sausages to breakfast. ~ TChe spiritual welfare of the iiiniatea i 9 also *anrfuUy looked after. In addition to prayers "3b«ng held every morning and evening, on Sundays there is a service conducted :by one *ff the clergymen or missionaries in the city. TJwse gentlemen take it in turn to engage in •ibis good work, and we have pleasure in , sAdGng that it is participated" in/by ministers •of all deaominations. Here, also, :it may 2»e appropriate to mention that, donations of i»ooka Will be gratefully received for the wse cf the inmates. Such books' need not snecessarily be religious, so long as their ■Stone ia healthy. Illustrated books or periodicals, snch' as the " Leisure Hour," ■snll be especially prized. A brief reference to the finances of ttie

jEustitution may be made before closing these 3-einarks. The sum of £350 has been raised 2*y subscriptions received from the public, ;aiwl a siiu'ltir amount lias been receiwd as a

subsidy (at the rate of £1 for £1) from the 32wmsieial Government. Of the expendiflaire, "tie most serious item has been She £6 0 for tbe purchase of the house amd ground; but in addition to this there have been many heavy expenses from the initiation of an estab-

lishment of the kind—such as furnishing the house, fencing in the ground, building the wash-house, buying a mangle, &c, to say nothing of the current expenses for food, clothing, ?fu'3, .and lighting. The average monthly expenditure is from £18 to £20, including the wages of the boy employed rto carry out the clothes, and these amounts are very much in excess of the value of the work done. Much, ;tqo, remains to be done. Besides the enlarging of the building, which may be looked upon as imperative, it is wished to utilise a portion of the ground as a kitchen garden, and-'also to rear poultry. The cultivating of the garden and the tending of the fowls will give the inmates a change of occupation, and that, too, in the open air, which; is much required, as well as supply them with, welcome additions to their diet. The members of the Ladies' Committee feel reluctant to again appeal to the public so shortly after receiving the liberal support already accorded to them ; but with the new year they puxlpose canvassing for annual subscriptions, so that a certain amount of income may be assured to the institution. We trust, however, that as we have shown that an urgent need for funds exists, there may be fbund not a few who will not wait for the incoming year, but will contribute what they can at once to make the Refuge- better adapted.to fulfil the objects aimed at. Thoughjits efforts are on but a small scale at present, we feel sure j it is doing good,,and with the means at its dis- ! pbsal its usefulness will be increased: Will not the reflection'bf having aided in preventing the irretrievable moral'shipwreck of even one fellow-creature be ample recompense for giving a little, though it be at a personal sacrifice, to .this .teuly, Christian work? Dunedin is rolling in money just now; cannot a little of it be spared for this purpose ? We hope that the people of Dunedin will, soon, by their deeds, answer these queries in the affirmative. - r That, those who, are disposed to respond to our appeal may know where to.send their donations, we may mention that these will be gladly received by any ;of; the ladies composing the Working Committee of the Refuge.- They are:—! Mrs T. Cargill, Mrs iH. S. Chapman, Mrs Glasgow, Mrs. Morse/ Mrs Stanford, and Mrs, Williams. If it should suit the convenience of the charitably disposed to send their contributions to ourselves, we shall behapi>y to receive them and forward them to the '..proper, quarter. We would also remindrour.readers that in addition to direct money assistance they may aid the Refuge by supplying it with work of the kinds mentioned above, and thus help it to become as far as possible self-supporting. .The work has been well begun, and we trust it Jwill.not be allowedCto languish for lack of ■ funds. , .■■••■•. ~;■,.■ ■ y