THE FEMALE REFUGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1243, 25 September 1875, Page 17

THE FEMALE REFUGE.

The annual Teporfc of the Dunedin Female Eefuge lies before us, and we cannot but congratulate the friends of the institution upon the measure of success that has attended their efforts. The preliminary difficulties that always hamper such undertakings have been met and ' overcome, and the building and grounds are free from debt. The extreme simplicity of the balance-sheet renders it a little difficult to say how the money has been spent. The credit side consists hi one lump sum of £910 4s 6d, whichinclude i part of purchase money, water rates, salary, &c., &c. Major Atkinson might take a pattern by this excellent simplicity, and reduce his Financial Statement on one side to this : "By expenses of State.' As is often the case, the Committee of Management are more precise in their statement of revenue than of expenditure. Of the £9G7 12s 6|d, which composed their income, £313 9s '3d eamo from subscriptions and • donations ; £250 from that generous but .departing ally, the Provincial Government ; £238 2s 4|d (we are careful over the halfpence) from washing and work done by the inmates ; while tho balance at the beginning of the year was £166 0s lid. It is, of course, exceedingly difficult to say what amount of real su--cess in the work of reformation has ' crowned the efforts of the philanthropical persons who have so zealously attended to their charge. The report speaks with becoming modesty upon this pomt :— -" The Committee feel that, in closing 'the report of the second year's effort in the Befuge, they are not wholly without encouragemetit. ' Taking into consideration tho morally degraded aud lost condition of the class they seek to benefit, they cannot bufc feel thankful that even a few seem anxious to turn from their old ways and lead better lives." We regret very much to see that four of the women "had been admitted for the' third r ime." thu tho awes of the inmates ranged up to fifty-three, and " that very few women under thirty have remained long in the "Institution." Of course this last sentence is an admission of failure as far as it goes. Jf the Refuge cannot retain its hold upon the women under thirty it had better be shut up. These are the only women worth trying to reform, and if npthiug can be done with them tho Institution k proceeding on some wron« method. At the same time if the practice of taking iv women of fifty- - three is persisted in, it is to be hoped that the younger and more innocent inmates will stay a vory short time indeed m the school of vice into which auch mistaken benev< ilrnce turns the Kcfuge. 'Ihe usefulness and txistene« of the Kefugo is imperilled by thu a- 1 mission uf these old women, and wo sinctr^ly hope the Cm» mittee will s«ho\v their common sense and refuse to take them.