PATIENTS AND PRISONERS’ AID SOCIETY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19240, 2 August 1924, Page 5

PATIENTS AND PRISONERS’ AID SOCIETY.

At the monthly meeting of tho Patients and Prisoners’ Aid Society, held yesterday afternoon, Mr Gumming, the society’s agent, reported as follows: I hough during the whole of the past month I have been practically off duty except for looking in at the office for an hour or so during tho last eight days, tho general work of the society has been fairly well carried out. As already intimated to tho chairman by letter, the Rev. G. L. Moroton has attended very satisfactorily to the outside work—namely, the court, prison, and has also seen to the probationary work, and has given attention to certain matters in tho office. To this gentleman I am extremely grateful, and I have no doubt the committee will express its thanks to him for his kindly offer to fill the gap while I am off duty. Ttie Hospital Guild.—l have to report having received two parcels of clothing during the month from the guild, kindly prepared for the benefit of the poorer class of patients who are sent to tho James Powell Rest Home. lam sure the committee is grateful to these ladies for their magnificent work in helping in this very fine way. The Rest Homo.—During tho month the homo has been kept fairly full, as you will be able to gather from the reports which will be presented by tho hon. treasurer. I regret, however, to say that, consequent upon my illness, the matter affecting the payments from the Dempsey Trust has not had attention. However, a cheque will bo forthcoming from tho trust during tho coming week. Finance.—Tho really dark cloud in connection with the society’s work at the present moment, is that of finance. It is to he regretted that I have not been able to follow my campaign of collecting during tho present month. Had it been possible for mo to have done so then, I am confident I should have had a satisfactory response. It is a pity that a society such as this should be so hampered, as I am sure that those who hay© an intimate knowledge of its nature and tho ramifications of its work for the last 45 years could not be other than sympathetic in a practical way towards making it possible for the work to bo satisfactorily carried out. I may here remark that every care is taken with regard to tho expenditure of tho funds which come into your agent’s hands for charitable purposes. It is true that wo do not make a groat deal of noise about what is being done, but I affirm that no organisation is doing finer work in this city than the Patients and Prisoners’ Aid Society; therefore the committee has a right to expect a liberal response to its funds from the public. Work of this kind, as carried on hy the society, must not be measured merely hy tho pounds, shillings, and pence that it costs. Timely nssitance of the Samaritan kind is given to those who are in honest need, both to the ex-prisoners and to the patients who are discharged from our various institutions. Tin's surely indicates that the Patients and Prisoners’ Aid Societ- merits tho continued support and appreciation of tho whole community, I should like, indeed, to fee! that during the period I shall be enforced to remain in the Hospital, my committee’s needs will he strengthened by a generous flow into the funds of the society. I shall probably be off duty for the best part of another month, and nothing will have a more healing effect upon me during my illness than to know that, the sorely-needed moneys have come in to the coffers of the sociefv. I have already expressed my thanks to tho Rev. G. E. Moreton for his verv .great help to me, but I would be lacking in my duty if I did not put on record tho fact that Miss Jamieson, during m-- absence from the office, has done great work, and deserves that I should express myself in the way which lam now doing. Indeed, the committee is fortunate, in my judgment, in having such an officer in its employ.