ST. MARY'S ORPHANAGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16752, 21 July 1916, Page 8

ST. MARY'S ORPHANAGE

AXXTAJ, MEETING OF SUBriCUJBERS. The annu d mectnij- of subocribeis to Jdt. Marj's Uipliana 0 o (Aioiiiington) >\as held \ibi-iday aiteinoon. iheie being a good at tendance, which was omi the iii.iiat' (Bishop Aevili), who, ui openmt, lhe proceedings, lelened to the miei\st c.Kjii 111 tlir institution, not onl> in iKindm, but ak-o in the diocc&o- gemrallv, which he was quite sure would be maintained 'lhe busaie-ba to be dealt with was ol a, leas oik 1 ous cluuacti r tl'an had bceu me lor sonic tune Thi active memboio o) the loiinnittee appointed by tho btaniinj.' Committee of tho diocese ~t its ,ir»t had been re-elected, and thej would occupy themselves with tho schedule of Uic dutKb thiy had to eairy out and which nad bi en lud down by tho Sjnoil. It was lxiuliK Jesirablo that these duties sho.ild bo kept 111 mmd. Their prim ipal duty vould 10 the maintenance ot the orphanage and the payment of tho debt on the oipiianage pioperty. Mr J. S. Wc-Lb presented tho annual ropoit and balance, sheet. He s.yd tho siibscijplions during tlu jear amour-tod to £223 17b Bd, w h ch was about JJA) le-fc than had been received the previous yoar, but tin-, had boon made up by the subsoqmnt collect ons of outstanding subscriptions The overdraft went to £142 4s 7d, but it had been reduced b> £20, subscriptions recently collected. 'lhe legal costs of taking o^er tho bu'ldings amounted to £15 15<% but Mr 5-pencer Brent, to whom this amount had been paid, had handed to tho committees a sitnilar turn b> way of a contribution. —(Applarse.) Air George Fcn\> ick moved 'he adoption of the- report. lie siicl that throughout tho leport there was a note of cheerful satisfaction at the present position ot the institution, and of bopet illness and cono,deration as to its iuture YVIuIo thi> ws so, an examination of tho report and balance sheet sbowed that cu-ntun;; v<u> not plain sailing; indeed, he thought, both with respect to Sister Ernestine: and the Committee of Management there must be doubts at times as to how tho revenue was going to mivt the opeudituio. lie noticed m tho balance sheet two items —mtcirst on the- mortgage and the bank o\e.c!i ut—wine 'i together represented approximately £i) 3. liub was e, fairly heavy sum to go annually against their income. 'Iho mortsair" stood at £1500, and he hoped that during tho year a start would bo made to recline the amount. There w.is an impression m tho jninds ol tho du bhc that this was a Stale-aided instilutioii; but it was not. It was true that a measure of suppoit had boon g.vcn to it this year by a grant of £30 from tho Otago HospiKl and Charitable Aid Board, against maintenance and other charges amounting to £683, so that it would bo seen that this was only a trifla of tho total expeiidituu necessary to keep this institution going. This suim of £30 ropicscnted 5s pji head for tho inmates ot the orphanage coming tiom the board's chstiiet. lhe question was whether it was desirable that an orphanage such as this should ask the State for aid, and it was held by some that thi.s was uii-dc-biraule; but he conbidered _ tnat they should approach tho Minister in charge, of tho depaiunent governing birch institutions lor a giant when ho next a is.ted Dunochn. Mr Fonwick al=o rotorrod to the favourable loport winch tho Uovcinmont mspcctoi h.-'d gi\on tho orphanage, and which, ho said, was a tribute to rtivrer lCrnestine Dean Fitchett, who seconded tho motion, said tho inspectors lcpoit was a mobt valuable testimonial lhe institution was muJi than they hoped ic would bo b<.loio long. A movement Lad begun in the .SvnoJ. for tho establishment of .1 bojs' oipiianage, and they hoped for very muc'i larger things in the futuic. It was indispensable that they should get rid ol thci handicap of £1500. Tho IJjan refcrnd feelingly to Mr J. N. Ritchie, who, he r-aid. was repoited missing in Mesoiiotamia irom his, ngimont —-the Seaforth llighl,in,Ur=. '1 hey hoped that they might yet :ee him again. Tho motion was caincd. Tho inspector's leport, which is a very favourable one, mentions that there aro oO mniatos of the home—wrongly called an oiphanage, for thcio arc no orphans in il, — and 28 of these are paid for at the late of 5s each per week. 'J he st.dt is composed of S.ster Ernest mo (in charge), a trained nuise (Miss Aitkin), who ib about to le.nc, a cook, and two young maids in training. The dormitoiies are c'< an, bright, and well verti'jtcd, and tho beeh are clean and com fort'ible After making recommendations for slight stiuctural alterations, tho inspector concludes: "The home is an excellent ono " Mr Davidson head ma&ter of the Moiningtoii ?chool, paid a waim tribute to tho care given ttro children at the institution, sijing that thev wore as good as, if not bettor than, the children to be seen m the publ'C school-. Votes of thanks to all who support tho institution wcro coined un<>nimnu=]y. Afternoon tea was afterwaicV. dispensed, and tho children gave a very fine performam" of rxerci'ps and other enteitainin'r subject's which thoy are taught at tho school.