SAILORS' SOCIETY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17273, 27 March 1918, Page 3

SAILORS' SOCIETY

SECOND ANNUAL MEETING. Tho second annual meeting of the Otapo branch of the British and Foreign Sailors' Socioty was held in the Sailors' Rest on Monday night. _ Tho President (Mr A. H. Heycock) occupied the chair. The meeeting was opened with the singing of " O God, Our Help m Ages Past," after which the Rev. W. Gray Dixon read a chapter of Scripture . and engaged in prayer.

Tho amsTKil report, which was read by Mr H. H. * Drivear, contained the following elapses:—Only 35 oversea vessels havo visited tho port during the year, and most of these arrived during three short periods, including Christmas and Easter. Forty services were' held, with a total attendance of about 800 seamen. Many of tho men were also entertained socially, and expressed their appreciation of the efforte put forth to make their brief time ashore as pleasant as possible. For these social functions the society is especially indebted to Mrs and Miss Inglis, Tho financial needs of tho society havo not 'been heavy, and it is. gratifying l that the revenue has been well maintained. Miss Inglis was, in May, appointed the official collector, and it ia largely due to her industry and tact that tho requisite funds havo been collected As a result of the Sailors' Day in September £102 was remitted to the headquarters in London. It. is hoped that the next collection will yield a yet worthier amount in aid of the magnificent society which celebrates this year its hundredth anniversary, and aims at raising a quarter of a million (£250,000) as a century fund for carrying on and extending it 3 beneficient work. By the death of Captain Strang wo lost a member of the committee who always took a keen interest in the work of the Rost, and assisted it whenever ho could. Tho most important item of business during the year was tho acoeptanco by tho committee of an offer made by tho trustees of th< Port Chalmers Rest that tho society should take over tho propertj and work there for a period of years at a nominal rental. Tho Dunedin Rest is utterly inadequate for the work whioh the society was formed to carry on, and utterly unworthy of a city which depends so nrooh as our city does upon the . mercantile marine. Tho committee believes that whenever it feels it timely to launch a fund tor tho erection of a larger and' worthier building a penerous public will furnish the requisite amount.

The Rev. Graham H. Balfonr moved the adoption of the report. He said the work-was to be profoundly commended, and if they only realised its immense extent they felt what a great_ boon it had been to the sailors, especially of the British Empire. A great work had been done in connection with torpedoed steamers and ships. The society had been able to assist some 758 ships, and 20.100 men had been succoured in a variety of _ ways, while 81,315 meals and 53,159 articles of clothing had been provided, and £2302 had been spent in the provision of 2475 railway warrants lor the men to return to their homes. This was only a part of the immense work, but it showed how important that work was, especially in theso critical times. No class of men deserved their interest and their sympathy more than did tho seafaring men, and -w'hon they came here everything should be done to help them socially, to give them a happy time, and, aibove all, to give them every spiritual privilege.—(Applause.) Mr D. L. K. "Walker seconded tho motion He remarked that the Sailors' Rest in Dunedin was not worthy of the city. Tho Port Chalmers Rest was the premier Rest of the dominion. No doubt the reason why there was not a better Rest in Dunedin was because of the division of the ports, vessels i coming to Dunedin sometimes and to Port Chalmers sometimes. At Lyttelton, ho was informed, there was a magnificent Rest. In one instanoe tho society at Homo had spent between £3500 and £3800 in sending to interned men' a complete outfit of clothing. That was a great thing to do.—(Applause.) It seemed to him 'that the people of New Zealand had not appreciated the mercantile marine half enough. They did not know what these men were going through. It was a great and important service the mercantile marine had rendered, and this was a time when a strong appeal might bo mado in Otago lor assistance for be •' t accommodation for tho Bailors visiting tuo port.—(Applause.) Tho motion was carried. Mr E. Wood (hon. treasurer) reported thai the receipts for the year (including a balance brought forward of £17 18s Id) wero £144 93 7d, and the expenditure £92 4s Id, leaving a balance of £55 5s 6d (including subscriptions for the current year already collected). The Rev. W. M. Grant, in speaking on the mances, said it was right that they should give the sailors who visited tho port the opportunity of kindly and loving social intercourse, _ and make it as bright and happy as it was possible with everything that was clean and right and healthy and good, and in that way 'they would be doing something to pay tho debt they owed to the men who were so nobly bearing and bravely doing in conn action alike with tho merchant service and also with tho splendid navy that at this time was standing in tho very forefront and keeping tho enemy from the gates.—(Applause.) Captain Novill spoke of Sailors' Rests he had visited in different parts of tho world. He had found that, although tho dangers had greatly increased since 'the war started, tho sailora had s»iown not tho least sign of hanging back, but had always been willing to do their bit on the sea.—(Applause.) The staten: ot of finances was accepted. On the motion of Mr 11. K. Wilkinson, seconded by Mr Adam Pnterson, tho mnttor of holding a street collection to obtain funds to send to tho parent body at Homo was referred 'to the committee, together with a suggestion that tho collection should be a dominion one, and not confined to Dunedin. Mr Buchan (hon. miseionor), in thanking his helpers for thoir services during the year, urged that an effort should be mado to build a new Rest in Dunedin.